Mastering The Art Of French Cooking

MASTERING
THE ART OF

French

Cooking

The only cookbook that explains how
to create authentic French dishes
in American kitchens with American foods

> By SIMONE BECK
“ y LOUISETTE BERTHOLLE?
JULIA CHILD

Drawings by Sidonie Coryn

"Anyone can cook in the French man-
ner anywhere," say Mesdames Beck,
Bertholle, and Child, "with the right
instruction." Here, at last, is the first
fundamental cookbook that tells
Americans how.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking
is for both seasoned cooks and begin-
ners who love good food and long to
reproduce at home the savory de-
lights of the classic cuisine, from the
historic Gallic masterpieces to the
seemingly artless perfection of a dish
of spring-green peas. This beautiful
book, with over 100 instructive illus-
trations, is revolutionary in its ap-
proach because:

1) It leads the cook infallibly
from the buying and handling of raw
ingredients, through each essential
step of a recipe, to the final creation
of a delicate confection.

2) It breaks down the classic
cuisine into a logical sequence of
themes and variations rather than
presenting an endless and diffuse
catalogue of recipes; the focus is on
key recipes which form the backbone
of French cookery and which lend
themselves to an infinite number of
elaborations, bound to increase any-
one's culinary repertoire.

3) It adapts classical techniques,
wherever possible, to modern Ameri-
can conveniences.

4) It shows Americans how to
buy products from any supermarket
in the U.S.A. which reproduce the ex-
act taste and texture of the French in-
gredients: equivalent meat cuts, for

(continued on back flap)

Typography, binding, and jacket design by
WARREN CHAPPELL

Jacket illustrations by Sidonie Coryn
color illustration: gigot roti

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Illustrations by Sidonie Coryn

r

Mastering the Art of

FRENCH COOKING

BY SIMONE, BECK
LOUISETTE BERTHOLLE
JULIA CHILD

NEW YORK

Alfred - A- Knopf

1964 Va

3 1730 01996 8937

L. C. catalog card number: 61-12313

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK,
PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC.

Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this bool{ may be reproduced in
any form without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages and repro-
duce not more than three illustrations in a review to be printed
in a magazine or newspaper. Manufactured in the United States
of America and distributed by Random House, Inc. Published
in Canada by Random House of Canada, Limited.

PUBLISHED OCTOBER I961
REPRINTED FOUR TIMES
SIXTH PRINTING, MAY 1 964

TO

La Belle France

WHOSE PEASANTS, FISHERMEN, HOUSEWIVES,

AND PRINCES - NOT TO MENTION HER CHEFS -
THROUGH GENERATIONS OF INVENTIVE AND
LOVING CONCENTRATION HAVE CREATED ONE

OF THE WORLD S GREAT ARTS

FOREWORD

-his is a book for the

servantless American cook who can be uncon-

cerned on occasion with budgets, waistlines, time schedules, children’s meals,
the parent-chauffeur-den-mother syndrome, or anything else which might
interfere with the enjoyment of producing something wonderful to eat. Writ-
ten for those who love to cook, the recipes are as detailed as we have felt they
should be so the reader will know exactly what is involved and how to go about
it. This makes them a bit longer than usual, and some of the recipes are quite
long indeed. No out-of-the-ordinary ingredients are called for. In fact the book
could well be titled “French Cooking from the American Supermarket,”
for the excellence of French cooking, and of good cooking in general, is due
more to cooking techniques than to anything else. And these techniques can
be applied wherever good basic materials are available. We have purposely
omitted cobwebbed bottles, the patron in his white cap bustling among his
sauces, anecdotes about charming little restaurants with gleaming napery, and
so forth. Such romantic interludes, it seems to us, put French cooking into a
never-never land instead of the Here, where happily it is available to every-
body. Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere, with the right in-
struction. Our hope is that this book will be helpful in giving that instruction.

Cooking techniques include such fundamentals as how to saute a piece of
meat so that it browns without losing its juices, how to fold beaten egg whites
into a cake batter to retain their maximum volume, how to add egg yolks to
a hot sauce so they will not curdle, where to put the tart in the oven so it will
puff and brown, and how to chop an onion quickly. Although you will per-
form with different ingredients for different dishes, the same general proc-

esses are repeated over and over again. As you enlarge your repertoire, you
will find that the seemingly endless babble o^l^ipes begins to fall rather neatly
into groups of theme and variations; a l' americaine has many

technical aspects in common with coq au i/i^fthaf^oq an vin in turn is almost

VIII

FOREWORD

identical in technique to boeuf bourguignon; all of them are types of fricas-
sees, so follow the fricassee pattern. In the sauce realm, the cream and egg-yolk
sauce for a blanquette of veal is the same type as that for a sole in white-wine
sauce, or for a gratin of scallops. Eventually you will rarely need recipes at all,
except as reminders of ingredients you may have forgotten.

All of the techniques employed in French cooking are aimed at one goal:
how does it taste ? The French are seldom interested in unusual combinations
or surprise presentations. With an enormous background of traditional dishes
to choose from (/ooo Ways to Prepare and Serve Eggs is the title of one French
book on the subject) the Frenchman takes his greatest pleasure from a well-
known dish impeccably cooked and served. A perfect navarin of lamb, for
instance, requires a number of operations including brownings, simmerings,
strainings, skimmings, and flavorings. Each of the several steps in the process,
though simple to accomplish, plays a critical role, and if any is eliminated or
combined with another, the texture and taste of the navarin suffer. One of
the main reasons that pseudo-French cooking, with which we are all too famil-
iar, falls far below good French cooking is just this matter of elimination of
steps, combination of processes, or skimping on ingredients such as butter,
cream — and time. “Too much trouble,” “Too expensive,” or “Who will know
the difference” are death knells for good food.

Cooking is not a particularly difficult art, and the more you cook and
learn about cooking, the more sense it makes. But like any art it requires prac-
tice and experience. The most important ingredient you can bring to it is love
of cooking for its own sake.

SCOPE

A complete treatise on French cooking following the detailed method
we have adopted would be about the size of an unabridged dictionary; even
printed on Bible paper, it would have to be placed on a stand. To produce a
book of convenient size, we have made an arbitrary selection of recipes that we
particularly like, and which we hope will interest our readers. Many splendid
creations are not included, and there are tremendous omissions. One may well
ask: “Why is there no pate feuilletee? Where are the croissants ?” These are
the kinds of recipes, in our opinion, which should be demonstrated in the
kitchen, as each requires a sense of touch which can only be learned through
personal practice and observation. Why only five cakes and no petits fours? No
boiled, souffleed, or mashed potatoes? No zucchini? No tripe? No poulet a la
Marengo? No green salads? No pressed duck or sauce rouennaise? No room!

FOREWORD

IX

A NOTE ON THE RECIPES

All of the master recipes and most of the subrecipes in this book are in
two-column form. On the left are the ingredients, often including some special
piece of equipment needed; on the right is a paragraph of instruction. Thus
what to cook and how to cook it, at each step in the proceedings, are always
brought together in one sweep of the eye. Master recipes are headed in large,
bold type; a special sign, >K, precedes those which are followed by variations.
Most of the recipes contain this sign, (*), in the body of the text, indicating up
to what point a dish may be prepared in advance. Wine and vegetable sugges-
tions are included with all master recipes for main-course dishes.

Our primary purpose in this book is to teach you how to cook, so that
you will understand the fundamental techniques and gradually be able to
divorce yourself from a dependence on recipes. We have therefore divided each
category of food into related groups or sections, and each recipe in one section
belongs to one family of techniques. Fish filets poached in white wine, starting
on page 208, are a good example, or the chicken fricassees starting on page
258, or the group of quiches on pages 146 to 153. It is our hope that you will
read the introductory pages preceding each chapter and section before you
start in on a recipe, as you will then understand what we are about. For the
casual reader, we have tried to make every recipe stand on its own. Cross ref-
erences are always a problem. If there are not enough, you may miss an im-
portant point, and if there are too many you will become enraged. Yet if every
technique is explained every time it comes up, a short recipe is long, and a
long one forbidding.

QUANTITIES

Most of the recipes in this book are calculated to serve six people with
reasonably good appetites in an American-style menu of three courses. The
amounts called for are generally twice what would be considered sufficient
for a typical French menu comprising hors d’oeuvre, soup, main course, salad,
cheese, and dessert. We hope that we have arrived at quantities which will be
correct for most of our readers. If a recipe states that the ingredients listed will
serve 4 to 6 people, this means the dish should be sufficient for 4 people if the
rest of your menu is small, and for 6 if it is large.

SOME WORDS OF ADVICE

Our years of teaching cookery have impressed upon us the fact that all
too often a debutant cook will start in enthusiastically on a new dish without

X

FOREWORD

ever reading the recipe first. Suddenly an ingredient, or a process, or a time
sequence will turn up, and there is astonishment, frustration, and even disaster.
We therefore urge you, however much you have cooked, always to read the
recipe first, even if the dish is familiar to you. Visualize each step so you will
know exactly what techniques, ingredients, time, and equipment are required
and you will encounter no surprises. Recipe language is always a sort of short-
hand in which a lot of information is packed, and you will have to read care-
fully if you are not to miss small but important points. Then, to build up your
over-all knowledge of cooking, compare the recipe mentally to others you are
familiar with, and note where one recipe or technique fits into the larger pic-
ture of theme and variations.

We have not given estimates for the time of preparation, as some people
take half an hour to slice three pounds of mushrooms while others take five
minutes.

Pay close attention to what you are doing while you work, for precision
in small details can make the difference between passable cooking and fine
food. If a recipe says, “cover casserole and regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly,” “heat the butter until its foam begins to subside,” or “beat the
hot sauce into die egg yolks by driblets,” follow it. You may be slow and clumsy
at first, but with practice you will pick up speed and style.

Allow yourself plenty of time. Most dishes can be assembled, or started,
or partially cooked in advance. If you are not an old campaigner, do not plan
more than one long or complicated recipe for a meal or you will wear yourself
out and derive no pleasure from your efforts.

If food is to be baked or broiled, be sure your oven is hot before the dish
goes in. Otherwise souffles will not rise, piecrusts will collapse, and gratineed
dishes will overcook before they brown.

A pot saver is a self-hampering cook. Use all the pans, bowls, and equip-
ment you need, but soak them in water as soon as you are through with them.
Clean up after yourself frequently to avoid confusion.

Train yourself to use your hands and fingers; they are wonderful instru-
ments. Train yourself also to handle hot foods; this will save time. Keep your
knives sharp.

Above all, have a good time.

S. B., L. B., J. C.

Acknowledgments

Our friends, students, families, and husbands who have gracefully and often
courageously acted as guinea pigs for years are owed a special thank you from the
authors. But there are others toward whom we feel particular gratitude because of
help of a different kind. The Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture has been one of our greatest sources of assistance and has unfailingly
and generously answered all sorts of technical questions ranging from food to plastic
bowls. The Meat Institute of Chicago, the National Livestock and Meat Board, and
the Poultry and Egg National Board have answered floods of inquiries with prompt
and precise information. Wonderfully helpful also have been the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the Department of the Interior, and the California Department of Fish
and Game. Sessions with L'Bcole Projessionelle de la Boucherie de Paris and with
the Office Scientifique et Technique de la Peche Maritime have been invaluable in
our research on French meat cuts and French fish. During our years of practical
kitchen-training in Paris, Chef de Cuisine Max Bugnard and Chef Pdtissier Claude
Thillmont have been our beloved teachers. More recently we have also had the good
fortune to work with Mme Aimee Cassiot, whose long years as a professional cordon
bleu in Paris have given her a vast store of working knowledge which she has will-
ingly shared with us. We are also greatly indebted to Le Cercle des Gourmettes
whose bi-monthly cooking sessions in Paris have often been our proving grounds,
and whose culinary ideas we have freely used. We give heartfelt thanks to our editors
whose enthusiasm and hard work transformed our manuscript-in-search-of-a-pub-
lisher into this book. Finally there is Avis DeVoto, our foster mother, wet nurse,
guide, and mentor. She provided encouragement for our first steps, some ten years
ago, as we came tottering out of the kitchen with the gleam of authorship lighting
our innocent faces.

tt

CONTENTS

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT 3

DEFINITIONS xi

INGREDIENTS 15

MEASURES 20

TEMPERATURES 24

CUTTING: Chopping, Slicing, Dicing, and Mincing 26

WINES 31

CHAPTER I -SOUPS 37

CHAPTER II -SAUCES 54

White Sauces 55

Brown Sauces 66

Tomato Sauces 76

The Hollandaisc Family 79

T he Mayonnaise Family 86

Vinaigrettes 94

Hot Butter Sauces 96

Cold Flavored Butters 99

List of Miscellaneous Sauces 105

Stocks and Aspics 106

CHAPTER III -EGGS 116

Poached Eggs 116

Shirred Eggs 122

Eggs in Ramekins 123

xiv CONTENTS

Scrambled Eggs 125

Omelettes I2 6

CHAPTER IV -ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES 139

Pie Dough and Pastry Shells 139

Quiches, Tarts, and Gratins 146

Souffles and Timbales *57

Pate a Choux, Puffs, Gnocchi, and Quenelles 175

Crepes I 9 °

Cocktail Appetizers t.96

CHAPTER V- FISH 207

Fish Filets Poached in White Wine 208

Two Recipes from Provence 218

T wo Famous Lobster Dishes 220

Mussels 226

List of Other Fish Dishes 232

CHAPTER VI - POULTRY 234

Roast Chicken 240

Casserole-roasted Chicken 249

Sauteed Chicken 254

Fricasseed Chicken 258

Broiled Chicken 265

Chicken Breasts 267

Duck 2 7 2

Goose 282

CHAPTER VII - MEAT 288

Beef 288

Lamb and Mutton 3 28

Veal 350

Pork 375

Ham 3 8 9

Cassoulet 399

Liver 4°5

Sweetbreads 4°9

Brains 4 r 3

Kidneys 4 l6

CONTENTS

XV

CHAPTER VIII - VEGETABLES 421

Green Vegetables 423

Carrots, Onions, and Turnips 476

Lettuce, Celery, Endive, and Leeks 489

The Cabbage Family 496

Cucumbers 499

Eggplant 501

T omatoes 505

Mushrooms 508

Chestnuts 517

Potatoes 520

Rice 528

CHAPTER IX -COLD BUFFET 536

Cold Vegetables 536

Aspics 544

Molded Mousses 558

Pates and Terrines 564

List of Other Cold Dishes 576

CHAPTER X- DESSERTS AND CAKES 579

Fundamentals 579

Sweet Sauces and Fillings 588

Custards, Mousses, and Molded Desserts 594

Sweet Souffles 613

Fruit Desserts 623

Tarts 632

Crepes 648

Clafoutis 655

Babas and Savarins 658

Ladyfingers 665

Cakes 667

INDEX

follows page 684

Illustrations

Kitchen Equipment

5-10

How to Measure Flour

17

How to Use a Knife: Chopping, Slicing, Dicing, and Mincing

26-30

Two Omelette-making Methods

128-135

How to Make Pastry Dough and Pastry Shells

141-145

How to Beat Egg Whites

159-160

How to Fold Beaten Egg Whites into a Souffle Mixture

161

Souffle Molds

162

Puff Shells

177-179

Forming Quenelles

187

Ma\ing Crepes

192

How to Truss a Chicken

237-239

Chicken on a Spit

242

Filet of Beef

290-291

The Bone Structure of a Leg of Lamb

329

How to Prepare Whole Artichokes

423-424

How to Prepare Artichoke Hearts

429-430

How to Prepare Fresh Asparagus

436

How to Peel, Seed, and Juice Tomatoes

505-506

How to Mince, Slice, Quarter, and Flute Mushrooms

509-5x1

How to Bake a Stuffed, Boned Duck in a Pastry Crust

569-575

How to Line a Dessert Mold with Ladyfingers

585-586

Decorative Designs for Fruit Tarts

636, 640, 642

Baba Mold

660

Savarin Molds

662

How to Ice a Cake

673-675

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

This symbol preceding a recipe title indicates that
variations follow.

Wherever you see this symbol in the body of recipe
texts you may prepare the dish ahead of time up to
that point, then complete the recipe later.

i

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Batterie de Cuisine

T heoretically a good cook should be able to perform under any cir-
cumstances, but cooking is much easier, pleasanter, and more efficient if you
have the right tools. Good equipment which will last for years does not seem
outrageously expensive when you realize that a big, enameled-iron casserole
costs no more than a 6-rib roast, that a large enameled skillet can be bought for
the price of a leg of lamb, and that a fine paring knife may cost less than two
small lamb chops. One of the best places to shop for reasonably priced kitchen-
ware is in a hotel- and restaurant-supply house where objects are sturdy, pro-
fessional, and made for hard use.

STOVES

Always keep your oven in check with a portable thermometer; thermo-
stats have a way of becoming unreliable, which can be disastrous if you are
cooking a souffle or a cake, and will put your timing way off for roasting.

You should be able to perform fast heat-switches from the bare simmer
to the rolling boil on your burners. Gas is certainly the most supple heat source,
but if gas pressure is low, it is wise to have one strong electric hot plate for
sautes and for boiling large pots of water.

POTS, PANS, AND CASSEROLES

Pots, pans, and casseroles should be heavy-bottomed so they will not tip
over, and good heat conductors so that foods will not stick and scorch. With
the exception of heavy copper, the best all-purpose material, in our opinion,
is heavy, enameled cast iron. It conducts heat very well, its enameled surface

4

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

does not discolor foods, and it is easy to clean. Stainless steel with a wash of cop-
per on the bottom for looks is a poor heat conductor— the copper bottom should
be % inch thick to be of any value. Stainless steel with a cast aluminum bottom,
on the other hand, is good, as the thick aluminum spreads the heat. Glazed
earthenware is all right as long as it has not developed cracks where old cooking
grease collects and exudes whenever foods are cooked in it. Pyrex and heat-
proof porcelain are fine but fragile. Thick aluminum and iron, though good
heat conductors, will discolor foods containing white wine or egg yolks. Be-
cause of the discoloration problem, we shall specify an enameled saucepan in
some recipes to indicate that any nonstaining material is to be used, from en-
amel to stainless steel, lined copper, pyrex, glazed pottery, or porcelain.

A Note on Copper Pots

Copper pots are the most satisfactory of all to cook in, as they hold and spread the
heat well, and their tin lining does not discolor foods. A great many tourist or
decorative types are currently sold; these are thin and glittering, and have shiny brass
handles. To get the full benefit out of cooking in copper, the metal must be '/ inch
thick, and the handle should be of heavy iron. The interior of the pot is lined with
a wash of tin, which must be renewed every several years when it wears off and the
copper begins to show through. A copper pot can still be used when this happens if
it is scrubbed just before you cook with it, and if the food is removed as soon as it
is done. If cooked food remains in a poorly lined pot, some kind of a toxic chemical
reaction can take place. It is thus best to have the pot re-tinned promptly.

In addition to re-tinning, there is the cleaning problem, as copper tarnishes
quickly. There are fast modern copper cleaners available. A good homemade mixture
is half a cup of white vinegar, and / cup each of table salt and scouring powder.
Rub the mixture over the copper, using steel wool if the pot is badly tarnished, then
rinse in hot water. The tin lining is cleaned with steel wool and scouring powder,
but do not expect it ever to glitter brightly again once you have used the pot for
cooking.

Never let a copper pot sit empty over heat, or the tin lining will melt. For the
same reason, watch your heat when browning meats in copper. If the tin begins to
glisten brightly in places, lower your heat.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

5

Any of the following items come in enameled cast iron:

Oval Casseroles

Oval casseroles are more practical than round ones as they can hold a
chicken or a roast of meat as well as a stew or a soup. A good pair would be
the 2-quart size about 6 by 8 inches across and 3 1 / inches high; and a 7- to
8-quart size about 9 by 12 inches across and 6 inches high.

Baling Dishes

Round and oval baking dishes can be used for roasting chicken, duck, or
meats, or can double as gratin dishes.

Saucepans

Saucepans in a range of sizes are essential. One with a metal handle can
also be set in the oven.

6

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Chef’s Skillet and
Saute Pan

A chef’s skillet, poele, has sloping sides and is used for browning and
tossing small pieces of food like mushrooms or chicken livers; the long handle
makes it easy to toss rather than turn the food. A saute pan, sautoir, has straight
sides and is used for sauteing small steaks, liver, or veal scallops, or foods like
chicken that are browned then covered to finish their cooking in the saute pan.

Besides the usual array of pots, roasters, vegetable peelers, spoons, and spatu-
las, here are some useful objects which make cooking easier:

Knives and
Sharpening Steel

A knife should be as sharp as a razor or it mashes and bruises food rather
than chopping or cutting it. It can be considered sharp if just the weight of it,
drawn across a tomato, slits the skin. No knife will hold a razor-edge for long.
The essential point is that it take an edge, and easily. If the steel is too hard, the
knife is very difficult to sharpen, and for diis reason stainless steel knives are
often unsatisfactory. You will be far better off with plain, rustable, carbon steel
knives that can be sharpened quickly on a butcher’s steel. The French chef’s
knife is the most useful general-purpose shape, as it can be used equally well
for chopping or paring. If you cannot find good knives, consult your butcher
or a professionally trained chef.

Knives should be washed separately and by hand as soon as you have

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

7

finished using them. Tarnished blades are cleaned easily with steel wool and
scouring powder. A magnetic holder screwed to the wall is a practical way
of keeping knives always within reach and isolated from other objects that
could dull and dent the blades by knocking against them.

Wooden Spatulas
and Rubber Scrapers

A wooden spatula is more practical for stirring than a wooden spoon ; its
flat surfaces are easily scraped off on the side of a pan or bowl. You will usu-
ally find wooden spatulas only at stores specializing in French imports. The
rubber spatula, which can be bought almost anywhere, is indispensable for
scraping sauces out of bowls and pans, for stirring, folding, creaming, and
smearing.

Wire Whips
or Whiskj

Wire whips, or whisks, are wonderful for beating eggs, sauces, canned
soups, and for general mixing. They are easier than the rotary egg beater be-
cause you use one hand only. Whisks range from minute to gigantic, and the

8

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

best selections are in restaurant-supply houses. You should have several sizes
including the balloon whip for beating egg whites at the far left; its use is il-
lustrated on page 159.

Bulb Baster and
Poultry Shears

The bulb baster is particularly good for basting meats or vegetables in a
casserole, and for degreasing roasts as well as basting them. Some plastic
models collapse in very hot fat; a metal tube-end is usually more satisfactory.
Poultry shears are a great help in disjointing broilers and fryers; regular steel
is more practical than stainless, as the shears can be sharpened more satisfac-
torily.

Drum Sieve and Pestle

The drum sieve, tamis, is used in France when one is instructed to force
food through a sieve. The ingredients, such as pounded lobster shells and but-
ter, are placed on the screen and rubbed through it with the pestle. An ordi-
nary sieve placed over a bowl or a food mill can take the place of a tamis.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

9

Food Mill and
Garlic Press

Two wonderful inventions, the food mill and the garlic press. The food
mill purees soups, sauces, vegetables, fruits, raw fish, or mousse mixtures. The
best type has 3 removable disks about 5 14 inches in diameter, one for fine, one
for medium, and one for coarse pureeing. The garlic press will puree a whole,
unpeeled clove of garlic, or pieces of onion.

It is always best to grate cheese yourself just before you use it. Packaged
grated cheeses, which are sometimes made of old cheese scraps, often have a
stale or rancid taste. The hand model is for small quantities; for larger
amounts, a screw-to-table type is practical.

10

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Small mortars of wood or porcelain are useful for grinding herbs, pound-
ing nuts, and the like. The large mortars are of marble, and are used for pound-
ing or pureeing shellfish, forcemeats, and so on. The electric blender, meat
grinder, and food mill take the place of a mortar and pestle in many instances.

DEFINITIONS

We have tried, in this book, to use ordinary American cooking terms
familiar to anyone who has been around a kitchen, but we list a few definitions
here to avoid possible misunderstanding.

BASTE, arroser To spoon melted butter, fat, or liquid over foods.

BEAT, fouetter To mix foods or liquids thoroughly and vigorously with a spoon,
fork, or whip, or an electric beater. When you beat, train yourself to use your lower-
arm and wrist muscles; if you beat from your shoulder you will tire quickly.
BLANCH, blanchir To plunge food into boiling water and to boil it until it has
softened, or wilted, or is partially or fully cooked. Food is also blanched to remove too
strong a taste, such as for cabbage or onions, or for the removal of the salty, smoky
taste of bacon.

BLEND, melanger To mix foods together in a less vigorous way than by beating,
usually with a fork, spoon, or spatula.

BOIL, bouillir Liquid is technically at the boil when it is seething, rolling, and
sending up bubbles. But in practice there are slow, medium, and fast boils. A very
slow boil, when the liquid is hardly moving except for a bubble at one point, is called
to simmer, mijoter. An even slower boil with no bubble, only the barest movement
on the surface of the liquid, is called “to shiver,” jrSmir, and is used for poaching
fish or other delicate foods.

BRAISE, braiser To brown foods in fat, then cook them in a covered casserole with
a small amount of liquid. We have also used the term for vegetables cooked in
butter in a covered casserole, as there is no English equivalent for etuver.

COAT A SPOON, napper la cuillere This term is used to indicate the thick-
ness of a sauce, and it seems the only way to describe it. A spoon dipped into a cream
soup and withdrawn would be coated with a thin film of soup. Dipped into a sauce
destined to cover food, the spoon would emerge with a fairly thick coating.
DEGLAZE, deglacer After meat has been roasted or sauteed, and the pan de-
greased, liquid is poured into the pan and all the flavorful coagulated cooking juices

12

DEFINITIONS

are scraped into it as it simmers. This is an important step in the preparation of all
meat sauces from the simplest to the most elaborate, for the deglaze becomes part of
the sauce, incorporating into it some of the flavor of the meat. Thus sauce and meat
are a logical complement to each other.

DEGREASE, degraisser To remove accumulated fat from the surface of hot liquids.
Sauces, Soups, and Stocks

To remove accumulated fat from the surface of a sauce, soup, or stock which
is simmering, use a long-handled spoon and draw it over the surface, dipping
up a thin layer of fat. It is not necessary to remove all the fat, as this will be
done later.

When the cooking is done, remove all the fat. If the liquid is still hot, let
it settle for 5 minutes so the fat will rise to the surface. Then spoon it off, tip-
ping the pot or kettle so that a heavier fat deposit will collect at one side and can
more easily be removed. When you have taken up as much as you can— it is
never a quick process— draw strips of paper towels over the surface until the
last floating fat globules have been blotted up.

It is easier, of course, to chill the liquid, for then the fat congeals on the
surface and can be scraped off.

Roasts

To remove fat from a pan while the meat is still roasting, tilt the pan and
scoop out the fat which collects in the corner. Use a bulb baster or a big spoon.
It is never necessary to remove all the fat at this time, just the excess. This de-
greasing should be done quickly, so your oven will not cool. If you take a long
time over it, add a few extra minutes to your total roasting figure.

After the roast has been taken from the pan, tilt the pan, then with a
spoon or a bulb baster remove the fat that collects in one corner, but do not
take up the browned juices, as these will go into your sauce. Usually a table-
spoon or two of fat is left in the pan, as it will give a little body and flavor to
the sauce.

Another method — and this can be useful if you have lots of juice— is to
place a trayful of ice cubes in a sieve lined with 2 or 3 thicknesses of damp
cheesecloth and set over a saucepan. Pour the fat and juices over the ice cubes;
most of the fat will collect and congeal on the ice. As some of the ice will melt
and combine with the juices in the saucepan, rapidly boil down the juices to
concentrate their flavor.

Casseroles

For stews, daubes, and other foods which cook in a casserole, tip the casserole
and the fat will collect at one side. Spoon it off, or suck it up with a bulb
baster. Or strain off all the sauce into a pan, by placing the casserole cover
askew and holding the casserole in both hands with your thumbs clamped to
the cover while you pour out the liquid. Then degrease the sauce in the pan,
and return the sauce to the casserole.

DEFINITIONS

13

DICE, couper en des To cut food into cubes the shape of dice, usually about / inch
in size as illustrated on page 29.

FOLD, incorporer To blend a fragile mixture, such as beaten egg whites, delicately
into a heavier mixture, such as a souffle base. This is described and illustrated in
the Souffle section on page 161. To fold also means to mix delicately without
breaking or mashing, such as folding cooked artichoke hearts or brains into a sauce.
GRATINE To brown the top of a sauced dish, usually under a hot broiler. A
sprinkling of bread crumbs or grated cheese, and dots of butter, help to form a light
brown covering ( gratin ) over the sauce.

MACERATE, macerer; MARINATE, mariner To place foods in a liquid so they
will absorb flavor, give off flavor, or become more tender. Macerate is the term
usually reserved for fruits, such as: cherries macerated in sugar and alcohol. Marinate
is used for meats: beef marinated in red wine. A marinade is a pickle, brine, or souse,
or a mixture of wine or vinegar, oil, and condiments.

MINCE, hacher To chop foods very fine, as illustrated on page 27.

NAP, napper To cover food with a sauce which is thick enough to adhere, but
supple enough so that the outlines of the food are preserved.

POACH, pocher Food submerged and cooked in a liquid that is barely simmering
or shivering. The term can also be used poetically for such things as “chicken breasts
poached in butter.”

PUREE, reduire en puree To render solid foods into a mash, such as applesauce or
mashed potatoes. This may be done in a mortar, a meat grinder, a food mill, an elec-
tric blender, or through a sieve.

REDUCE, reduire To boil down a liquid, reducing it in quantity, and concentrat-
ing its taste. This is a most important step in saucemaking.

REFRESH, rafralchir To plunge hot food into cold water in order to cool it quickly
and stop the cooking process, or to wash it off.

SAUTE, sauter To cook and brown food in a very small quantity of very hot fat,
usually in an open skillet. You may saute food merely to brown it, as you brown
the beef for a stew. Or you may saute until the food is cooked through, as for slices of
liver. Sauteing is one of the most important of the primary cooking techniques, and
it is often badly done because one of the following points has not been observed :

1) The sauteing fat must be very hot, almost smoking, before the food goes
into the pan, otherwise there will be no sealing-in of juices, and no browning. The
sauteing medium may be fat, oil, or butter and oil. Plain butter cannot be heated
to the required temperature without burning, so it must either be fortified with oil
or be clarified — rid of its milky residue as described on page 15.

2) The food must be absolutely dry. If it is damp, a layer of steam develops
between the food and the fat preventing the browning and searing process.

3) The pan must not be crowded. Enough air space must be left between each
piece of food or it will steam rather than brown, and its juices will escape and burn
in the pan.

14

DEFINITIONS

TOSS, faire sauter Instead of turning food with a spoon or a spatula, you can make
it flip over by tossing the pan. The classic example is tossing a pancake so it flips over
in mid-air. But tossing is also a useful technique for cooking vegetables, as a toss is
often less bruising than a turn. If you are cooking in a covered casserole, grasp it in
both hands with your thumbs clamped to the cover. Toss the pan with an up-and-
down, slightly jerky, circular motion. The contents will flip over and change cook-
ing levels. For an open saucepan use the same movement, holding the handle with
both hands, thumbs up. A back-and-forth slide is used for a skillet. Give it a very
slight upward jerk just as you draw it back toward you.

INGREDIENTS

.Except for wines and spirits, and possibly foie gras and truffles, all the
ingredients called for in this book are available in the average American gro-
cery store. The following list is an explanation of the use of some items:

BACON, lard de poitrine fume The kind of bacon used in French recipes is fresh,
unsalted, and unsmoked, lard de poitrine frais. As this is difficult to find in America,
we have specified smoked bacon; its taste is usually fresher than that of salt pork.
It is always blanched in simmering water to remove its smoky taste. If this were not
done, the whole dish would taste of bacon.

Blanched Bacon

Place the bacon strips in a pan of cold water, about i quart for each 4 ounces.
Bring to the simmer and simmer 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and rinse it
thoroughly in fresh cold water, then dry it on paper towels.

BUTTER, beurre French butter is made from matured cream rather than from
sweet cream, is unsalted, and has a special almost nutty flavor. Except for cake
frostings and certain desserts for which we have specified unsalted butter, American
salted butter and French butter are interchangeable in cooking. (Note: It has recently
become a habit in America to call unsalted butter, “sweet butter”; there is an at-
tractive ring to it. But technically any butter, salted or not, which is made from sweet,
unmatured cream is sweet butter.)

Clarified Butter, beurre clarifie

When ordinary butter is heated until it liquefies, a milky residue sinks to the
bottom of the saucepan. The clear, yellow liquid above it is clarified butter. It
burns less easily than ordinary butter, as it is the milky particles in ordinary
butter which blacken first when butter is heated. Clarified butter is used for
sauteing the rounds of white bread used for canapes, or such delicate items as
boned and skinned chicken breasts. It is also the base for brown butter sauce,
and is used rather than fat in the brown roux for particularly fine brown

X(5 INGREDIENTS

sauces. To clarify butter, cut it into pieces and place it in a saucepan over
moderate heat. When the butter has melted, skim off the foam, and strain the
clear yellow liquid into a bowl, leaving the milky residue in the bottom of the
pan. The residue may be stirred into soups and sauces to serve as an enrich-
ment.

Butter Temperatures, Butter Foam

Whenever you are heating butter for an omelette or butter and oil for a saute
your recipe will direct you to wait until the butter foam looks a certain way.
This is because the condition of the foam is a sure indication of how hot the
butter is. As it begins to melt, the butter will foam hardly at all, and is not hot
enough to brown anything. But as the heat increases, the liquids in the butter
evaporate and cause the butter to foam up. During this full-foaming period
the butter is still not very hot, only around 212 degrees. When the liquids have
almost evaporated, you can see the foam subsiding. And when you see practi-
cally no foam, you will also observe the butter begin to turn light brown, then
dark brown, and finally a burnt black. Butter fortified with oil will heat to a
higher temperature before browning and burning than will plain butter, but
the observable signs are the same. Thus the point at which you add your eggs
to the omelette pan or your meat to the skillet is when the butter is very hot
but not browning, and that is easy to see when you look at the butter. If it is
still foaming up, wait a few seconds; when you see the foam begin to subside,
the butter is hot enough for you to begin.

CHEESE, fromage The two cheeses most commonly used in French cooking are
Swiss and Parmesan. Imported Swiss cheese is of two types, either of which may
be used: the true Gruyere with small holes, and the Emmenthal which is fatter, less
salty, and has large holes. Wisconsin “Swiss” may be substituted for imported Swiss.
Petit suisse, a cream cheese that is sometimes called for in French recipes, is analogous
to Philadelphia cream cheese.

CREAM, creme jraiche, creme double French cream is matured cream, that is, lactic
acids and natural ferments have been allowed to work in it until the cream has
thickened and taken on a nutty flavor. It is not sour. Commercially made sour cream
with a butterfat content of only 18 to 20 per cent is no substitute; furthermore, it can-
not be boiled without curdling. French cream has a butterfat content of at least 30
per cent. American whipping cream with its comparable butterfat content may be
used in any French recipe calling for creme fralche. If it is allowed to thicken with
a little buttermilk, it will taste quite a bit like French cream, can be boiled without
curdling, and will keep for 10 days or more under refrigeration; use it on fruits
or desserts, or in cooking.

1 tsp commercial buttermilk Stir the buttermilk into the cream and heat to luke-

1 cup whipping cream warm— not over 85 degrees. Pour the mixture into a

loosely covered jar and let it stand at a temperature
of not over 85 degrees nor under 60 degrees until it

INGREDIENTS

17

has thickened. This will take 5 to 8 hours on a hot
day, 24 to 36 hours at a low temperature. Stir, cover,
and refrigerate.

[note: French unmatured or sweet cream is called flcurette ]

FLOUR, farine French flour is made from soft wheat. Most American flour is made
from hard wheat. This makes a difference in cooking quality and, as you will note
from the following table, in weights and measures. Unless cake flour is specified in
this book, “flour” means American hard-wheat all-purpose white flour. Cups and
spoons cannot measure the weight of flour with absolute accuracy, and whether the
climate is damp or dry can make a difference of 10 to 15 grams a cup. It is important
that flour be measured as carefully as possible when you are making cakes and
pastries or the proportions of the whole mixture will be off.

[note: See Flour-weight Table, page 18]

All the recipes in this book are based on the following system: Place a flour-
measuring cup over a sheet of waxed paper on a flat surface. Sift the flour
directly into the cup until it is overflowing. Do not tap the cup or press down
on the flour. Sweep off the excess flour even with the lip of the cup, using the
flat part of a knife. Measure fractional cups and spoonfuls in the same manner.

GLACEED FRUITS, CANDIED FRUITS, fruits confits These are fruits such as
cherries, orange peel, citron, apricots, and angelica, which have undergone a preserv-
ing process in sugar. They are sometimes coated with sugar so they are not sticky; at
other times they are sticky, depending on the specific process they have been through.
Glaceed fruits are called for in a number of the dessert recipes; most groceries carry
selections or mixtures in jars or packages.

i8

INGREDIENTS

FLOUR WEIGHTS Approximate Equivalents

SOFT-WHEAT FLOUR,

PASTRY FLOUR, AMERI-

HARD-WHEAT FLOUR —

CAN CAKE FLOUR,

CUPS AND SPOONS

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

FRENCH FLOUR

(level measure)

(minimum weights)

(minimum weights)

Ounces

Grams

Ounces Grams

i tsp (teaspoon)

X 2

2

Xs

1 Tb (tablespoon)

X

6

X, 5

Vs cup

I plus

33

1 minus 25

1 cup

3X

100

2 80

i !4 cups

3X 100

\Za cups

16 (1 pound)

454

5% cups

16 (1 pound) 454

10 cups

2.2 pounds

1,000 *

12 cups

2.2 pounds 1,000*

* / kilogram

Note: In a French recipe i cuillere de farine usually means i heaping French
tablespoon, or 15 to 20 grams.

HERBS, herbes Classical French cooking uses far fewer herbs than most Ameri-
cans would suspect. Parsley, thyme, bay, and tarragon are the stand-bys, plus fresh
chives and chervil in season. A mixture of fresh parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil
is called fines herbes. Mediterranean France adds to the general list basil, fennel,
oregano, sage, and saffron. The French feeling about herbs is that they should be an
accent and a complement, but never a domination over the essential flavors of the
main ingredients. Fresh herbs are, of course, ideal; and some varieties of herbs freeze
well. Excellent also are most of the dried herbs now available. Be sure any dried or
frozen herbs you use retain most of their original taste and fragrance.

A Note on Bay Leaves

American bay is stronger and a bit different in taste than European bay. We
suggest you buy imported bay leaves; they are bottled by several of the well-
known American spice firms.

HERB BOUQUET, bouquet garni This term means a combination of parsley,
thyme, and bay leaf for flavoring soups, stews, sauces, and braised meat and vege-
tables. If the herbs are fresh and in sprigs or leaf, the parsley is folded around them
and they are tied together with string. If the herbs are dried, they are wrapped in a
piece of washed cheesecloth and tied. A bundle is made so the herbs will not disperse
themselves into the liquid or be skimmed off it, and so that they can be removed
easily. Celery, garlic, fennel, or other items may be included in the packet, but are

INGREDIENTS

19

always specifically mentioned, such as “a medium herb bouquet with celery stalk.”
A small herb bouquet should contain 2 parsley sprigs, of a bay leaf, and 1 sprig or
'/ teaspoon of thyme.

MARROW, moelle The fatty filling of beef leg-bones, marrow is poached and used
in sauces, garnitures, and on canapes. It is prepared as follows:

A beef marrowbone about 5
inches long

Boiling bouillon or boiling
salted water

Stand the bone on one end and split it with a cleaver.
Remove the marrow in one piece if possible. Slice or
dice it with a knife dipped in hot water.

Shortly before using, drop the marrow into the hot
liquid. Set aside for 3 to 5 minutes until the marrow
has softened. Drain, and it is ready to use.

OIL, hutle Classical French cooking uses almost exclusively odorless, tasteless vege-
table oils for cooking and salads. These are made from peanuts, corn, cottonseed,
sesame seed, poppy seed, or other analogous ingredients. Olive oil, which dominates
Mediterranean cooking, has too much character for the subtle flavors of a delicate
dish. In recipes where it makes no difference which you use, we have just specified
“oil.”

SHALLOTS, echalotes Shallots with their delicate flavor and slightest hint of garlic
are small members of the onion family. They are used in sauces, stuffings, and general
cooking to give a mild onion taste. The minced white part of green onions may
take the place of shallots. If you can find neither, substitute very finely minced onion
dropped for one minute in boiling water, rinsed, and drained. Or omit them alto-
gether.

TRUFFLES, tmfies Truffles are round, pungent, wrinkled, black fungi usually an
inch or two in diameter which are dug up in certain regions of France and Italy
from about the first of December to the end of January. They are always expensive.
If you have ever been in France during this season, you will never forget the exciting
smell of fresh truffles. Canned truffles, good as they are, give only a suggestion of
their original glory. But their flavor can be much enhanced if a spoonful or two of
Madeira is poured into the can half an hour before the truffles are to be employed.
Truffles are used in decorations, with scrambled eggs and omelettes, in meat stuffings
and pates, and in sauces. The juice from the can is added to sauces and stuffings for
additional truffle flavor. A partially used can of truffles may be frozen.

MEASURES

A pint’s a pound the world around except in England where a pint of
water weighs a pound and a quarter, and all measurements in this book are
level. The following table is for those who wish to translate French measure-
ments into the nearest convenient American equivalent and vice versa:

AMERICAN SPOONS

FRENCH

LIQUID

LIQUID

AND CUPS

EQUIVALENTS

OUNCES

GRAMS

i tsp (teaspoon)

i cuillbe a cafe

] /g

5

1 Tb (tablespoon)

1 cuillbe a soupe ,
cuillbe a bouche
or verre a liqueur

%

!5

1 cup (16 Tb)

)4 litre less 2 Tb

8

227

2 cups (1 pint)

Yi litre less Y
decilitre

16 (1 pound)

454

4 cups (1 quart)

Ho litre

3 2

907

6Vs Tb

1 decilitre
1 demi-verre

3 ^

100

1 cup plus 1 Tb

Yi litre

8^

250

4 Vi cups

1 litre

2.2 pounds

1000 (1 kilogi

A pinch, une pincee The amount of any ingredient you can take up between your
thumb and forefinger. There are big and little pinches.

BRITISH MEASURES

British dry measures for ounces and pounds, and linear measures for
inches and feet, are the same as American measures. However, the British
liquid ounce is 1.04 times the American ounce; the British pint contains 20
British ounces; and the quart, 40 ounces. A gill is 5 ounces, or about 2 /z of an
American cup.

MEASURES

21

CONVERSION FORMULAS American, British, Metric

To Convert

Multiply

By

Ounces to grams

The ounces

28.35

Grams to ounces

The grams

0.035

Liters to U.S. quarts

The liters

0.95

Liters to British quarts

The liters

0.88

U.S. quarts to liters

The quarts

1.057

British quarts to liters

The quarts

1. 14

Inches to centimeters

The inches

2.54

Centimeters to inches

The centimeters

0.39

CUP-DECILI I ER EQUIVALENTS i deciliter equals 6% tablespoons

Cups

Deciliters

Cups

Deciliters

X

0.56

2.83

Vs

0.75

3-°

X

*•*3

1 H

3-4

%

i-5

3-75

X

1.68

*X

4.0

I

2.27

2

4-5

GRAM-OUNCE EQUIVALENTS

Grams

Ounces

Grams

Ounces

Grams

Ounces

2 5

00

6

75

2.63

100

3-5

3 °

1.0

80

2.8

1 25

4.4

50

*•75

85

3-o

150

5.25

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES

We have used the following measurements and equivalents throughout.
ALMONDS

4 ounces of whole shelled, powdered, or slivered almonds equal about / cup.

APPLES

3 pounds of whole apples yield about 8 cups of sliced apples, and 3 / cups of
applesauce.

BACON

2 ounces of diced raw bacon yield about / cup.

BREAD CRUMBS

2 ounces of lightly packed fresh bread crumbs make about 1 cup; 2 ounces of
dry bread crumbs make about / cup.

22

MEASURES

BUTTER

i pound of butter equals 16 ounces, 2 cups, or 32 tablespoons. A 14 -pound stick
of butter is 4 ounces, / cup, or 8 tablespoons. For easy measurement of butter
in tablespoons, mark a '/4-P oun ^ stick with the edge of a knife into 8 equal
portions; each portion is 1 tablespoon.

CABBAGE

/ pound of minced or sliced cabbage, pressed down, equals about 3 cups.

CARROTS

1 medium carrot equals 2/2 to 3 ounces; 1 pound of sliced or diced carrots
equals 3 / 2 to 4 cups.

CELERY STALK

1 celery stalk of medium size weighs i'/ 2 to 2 ounces; 2 sliced celery stalks equal
/ to 1 cup.

CHEESE

2 ounces of lightly packed grated cheese equal about l / z cup.

EGGS

1 U.S. large graded egg weighs about 2 ounces.

1 U.S. large egg white equals 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons.

1 U.S. large egg yolk equals / ounce or 1 tablespoon.

FLOUR

See table of equivalents and measuring directions, pages 17, 18.

GARLIC

1 medium clove of garlic equals Y\ g ounce or Ys teaspoon. To remove the
smell of garlic from your hands, rinse them in cold water, rub with table salt,
rinse again in cold water, then wash with soap and warm water. Repeat if
necessary.

MUSHROOMS

y 2 pound of sliced fresh mushrooms equals about 2Y2 cups.

/i pound of diced fresh mushrooms equals about 2 cups.

ONIONS

1 medium onion equals 2 l / 2 to 3 ounces.

1 pound of sliced or diced onions yields 3 Vi to 4 cups.

See the note on garlic about how to remove the smell of onions from your
hands.

POTATOES

i medium potato equals 3V2 to 4 ounces.

1 pound of sliced or diced potatoes yields 3 Yt to 4 cups.

1 pound of impeded raw potatoes yields about 2 cups of mashed potatoes.

MEASURES

2 3

RICE

/ pound of raw rice equals about 1 cup; and 1 cup of raw rice yields about 3
cups of cooked rice.

SALT

Use 1 to i 1 / teaspoons of salt per quart of liquid for the boiling of vegetables
and the flavoring of unsalted soups and sauces. Also use 1 to U/i teaspoons of
salt per pound of boneless raw meat. If you have oversalted a sauce or a soup,
you can remove some of the saltiness by grating in raw potatoes. Simmer the
potatoes in the liquid for 7 to 8 minutes, then strain the liquid; the potatoes will
have absorbed quite a bit of the excess salt.

SHALLOTS

1 medium shallot equals '/ ounce or 1 tablespoon when minced.

SUGAR, GRANULATED

1 up equals 6 l / 2 ounces or 190 grams.

1 pound equals 2 l / 2 cups or 454 grams.

100 grams equals 3V2 ounces or l / 2 cup.

SUGAR, POWDERED

1 cup equals 2% ounces or 80 grams.

TOMATOES

1 tomato equals 4 to 5 ounces; 1 pound of fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded, juiced,
and chopped as illustrated on page 505 will yield about 1/ cups of tomato pulp.

TEMPERATURES

Fahrenheit and Centigrade

TO CONVERT FAHRENHEIT INTO CENTIGRADE, subtract 32, multiply
by 5, divide by 9.

Example: 212 (Fahrenheit) minus 32 equals 180
180 multiplied by 5 equals 900

900 divided by 9 equals 100, or the temperature of boiling water in centi-
grade

TO CONVERT CENTIGRADE INTO FAHRENHEIT, multiply by 9, divide
by 5, add 32.

Example: 100 (centigrade) multiplied by 9 equals 900
900 divided by 5 equals 180

180 plus 32 equals 212, or the temperature of boiling water in Fahrenheit

TEMPERATURE CONVERSION TABLE
American — French — British

FAHRENHEIT

DEGREES

(AMERICAN

AND

British)

CENTI-

GRADE

DEGREES

AMERICAN OVEN
TEMPERATURE
TERMS

FRENCH OVEN
TEMPERATURE TERMS,
AND FAIRLY STANDARD
THERMOSTAT SETTINGS

BRITISH

“regulo”

OVEN

THERMOSTAT

SETTINGS

160

n

h

170

fa

200

93

Tres Doux; Etuve

212

100

221

105

#2

225

107

Very Slow

Doux

23°

IIO

#3

fv* (24 1 F )

250

121

275

135

P/2 (266 F)

284

I4O

Moyen; Modere

#1 (291 F)

300

I49

3 °2

I50

#4

320

160

#2 (313 F)

325

163

#3 (336 F)

35 °

177

Moderate

Assez Chaud; Bon Four

35 6

180

#4 (358 F)

375

I9O

h

39 °

200

#5 (379 F)

400

205

#6 (403 F)

410

210

Hot

Chaud

4 2 5

2l8

#6

#7 (424 F)

428

220

437

225

450

232

n (446 f)

475

246

Very Hot

Trtts Chaud; Vif

#9 (469 F )

500

260

#7

525

274

#8

55 °

288

| #9

CUTTING

Chopping, Slicing, Dicing, and Mincing

F RENCH cooking requires a good deal of slicing, dicing, mincing, and
fancy cutting, and if you have not learned to wield a knife rapidly a recipe
calling for 2 cups of finely diced vegetables and 2 pounds of sliced mushroom
caps is often too discouraging to attempt. It takes several weeks of off-and-on
practice to master the various knife techniques, but once learned they are never
forgotten. You can save a tremendous amount of time, and also derive a modest
pride, in learning how to use a knife professionally.

CUTTING

27

Chopping

For chopping, hold the knife blade by both ends and chop with rapid
up-and-down movements, brushing the ingredients repeatedly into a heap
again with the knife.

To slice potatoes or other round or oval objects, cut the potato in half and
lay it cut-side down on the chopping board. Use the diumb of your left hand
as a pusher, and grip the sides of the potato with your fingers, pointing your
fingernails back toward your thumb so you will not cut them.

Cut straight down, at a right angle to board, with a quick stroke of the
knife blade, pushing the potato slice away from the potato as you hit the board.

28

CUTTING

The knuckles of your left hand act as a guide for the next slice. This goes
slowly at first, but after a bit of practice, 2 pounds of potatoes can be sliced in
less than 5 minutes.

To slice long objects like carrots, cut a thin strip off one side so the carrot
will lie flat on the board. Then cut crosswise slices as for the potatoes in the
preceding paragraph.

To cut vegetables such as carrots or potatoes into julienne matchsticks,
remove a thin strip off one side of the carrot and lay the carrot on the board.
Then cut it into lengthwise slices % inch thick.

30

CUTTING

Dicing Onions and Shallots (a)

Once mastered, this method of dicing onions or shallots goes like light-
ning. Cut the onion in half through the root. Lay one half cut-side down, its
root-end to your left. Cut vertical slices from one side to the other, coming just
to the root but leaving the slices attached to it, thus the onion will not fall
apart.

Dicing Onions and Shallots (b)

Then make horizontal slices from bottom to top, still leaving them at-
tached to the root of the onion.

Dicing Onions and Shallots (c)

Finally, make downward cuts and the onion falls into dice.

Mushrooms

Various methods for cutting mushrooms are illustrated on page 509.

WINES

I • Cooking with Wine

Food, like the people who eat it, can be stimulated by wine or spirits.
And, as with people, it can also be spoiled. The quality in a white or red wine,
vermouth, Madeira, or brandy which heightens the character of cooking is not
the alcohol content, which is usually evaporated, but the flavor. Therefore any
wine or spirit used in cooking must be a good one. If it is excessively fruity,
sour, or unsavory in any way, these tastes will only be emphasized by the cook-
ing, which ordinarily reduces volume and concentrates flavor. If you have not
a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor one can spoil a simple
dish and utterly debase a noble one.

WHITE WINE

White wine for cooking should be strong and dry, but never sour or
fruity. A most satisfactory choice is white Macon, made from the Pinot Blanc
or the Chardonnay grape. It has all the right qualities and, in France, is not
expensive. As the right white wine is not as reasonable to acquire in America,
we have found that a good, dry, white vermouth is an excellent substitute, and
much better than the wrong kind of white wine.

RED WINE

A good, young, full-bodied red wine is the type you should use for cook-
ing. In France you would pick a Macon, one of the lesser Burgundies, one of
the more full-bodied regional Bordeaux such as St.-fimilion, or a good local
wine having these qualities.

32

WINES

FORTIFIED WINES, SPIRITS, AND LIQUEURS

Fortified wines, spirits, and liqueurs are used principally for final flavor-
ings. As they must be of excellent quality they are always expensive; but
usually only a small quantity is called for, so your supply should last quite a
while. Here, particularly, if you do not want to spend the money for a good
bottle, omit the ingredient or pick another recipe.

RUM and LIQUEURS are called for in desserts. Dark Jamaican rum is
the best type to use here, to get a full rum flavor. Among liqueurs, orange is
most frequently specified; good imported brands as touchstones for flavor are
Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and curagao.

MADEIRA and PORT are often the final flavor-fillip for sauces, as in a
brown Madeira sauce for ham, or chicken in port wine. These wines should
be the genuine imported article of a medium-dry type, but can be the more
moderately priced examples from a good firm.

SHERRY and MARSALA are rare in French cooking. If used in place of
port or Madeira they tend to give an un-French flavor to most French recipes.

BRANDY is the most ubiquitous spirit in French cooking from desserts
to sauces, consommes, aspics, and flambees. Because there are dreadful con-
coctions bottled under the label of brandy, we have specified cognac whenever
brandy is required in a recipe, as a reminder that you use a good brand. You
do not have to buy Three-star or V.S.O.P, but whatever you use should com-
pare favorably in taste with a good cognac.

II • Wine and Food

The wonderful thing about French wines is that they go so well with
food. And there is always that enjoyable problem of just which of the many
possible choices you should use for a particular occasion. If you are a neophyte
wine drinker, the point to keep in mind in learning about which wine to serve
with which dish is that the wine should complement the food and the food
should accentuate and blend with the qualities of the wine. A robust wine
overpowers the taste of a delicate dish, while a highly spiced dish will kill
the flavor of a light wine. A dry wine tastes sour if drunk with a sweet des-
sert, and a red wine often takes on a fishy taste if served with fish. Great com-

WINE AND FOOD

33

binations of wine and food are unforgettable: kidneys and one of the great
red Burgundies, where each rings reminiscent changes on the characteristics
of the other; sole in one of the rich white wine sauces and a fine white Bur-
gundy; souffle a la liqueur and a Chateau d’ Yquem. And then there are
the more simple pleasures of a stout red wine and a strong cheese, white wine
and oysters, red wine and a beef stew, chilled rose and a platter of cold meats.
Knowledge of wines is a lifetime hobby, and the only way to learn is to start
in drinking and enjoying them, comparing types, vintages, and good mar-
riages of certain wines with certain foods.

Wine suggestions go with all the master recipes for main courses. Here
is a list of generally accepted concordances to reverse the process. As this is a
book on French cooking, we have concentrated on French wines.

sweet white wines ( not champagnes')

The best known of these are probably the Sauternes, the greatest of which
is Chateau d’ Yquem. They may range from noble and full bodied to relatively
light, depending on the vineyard and vintage.

Sweet white wines are too often neglected. Those of good quality can
be magnificent with dessert mousses, creams, souffles, and cakes. And a fine
Sauternes is delicious with foie gras or a pate of chicken livers. In the old days
sweet wines were drunk with oysters.

LIGHT, DRY, WHITE WINES

Typical examples are Alsatian Riesling, Muscadet, Sancerre, and usually
Pouilly-Fume, Pouilly-Fuisse, and Chablis. Local wines, tins du pays, often
fall into this category.

Serve with oysters, cold shellfish, boiled shellfish, broiled fish, cold meats,
egg dishes, and entrees.

FULL-BODIED DRY, WHITE WINES

White Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, and the dry Graves are examples.
Serve with fish, poultry, and veal in cream sauces. White Burgundy can
also be drunk with foie gras, and it is not unheard of to serve a Meursault with
Roquefort cheese.

ROSES

Roses can be served with anything, but are usually reserved for cold
dishes, pates, eggs, and pork •

34

WINES

LIGHT-BODIED RED WINES

These are typically Bordeaux from the Medoc or Graves districts. Many
of the regional wines and local vins du pays can also be included here.

Serve Bordeaux with roast chicken, turkey, veal, or lamb; also with filet of
beef, ham, liver, quail, pheasant, foie gras, and soft fermented cheese li\e
camembert. Regional wines and vins du pays go especially well with informal
dishes such as beef or lamb stew, daubes, bouillabaisse, hamburgers, steaks, and
pates.

FULL-BODIED RED WINES

All of the great Burgundies and Rhones fall into this category; the full
bodied Bordeaux from St. fimilion may be included also.

Serve with duck, goose, kidneys, well-hung game, meats marinated in
red wine, and authoritative cheeses such as Roquefort. They are called for
wherever strong-flavored foods must meet strong-flavored wines.

CHAMPAGNE

Brut

Serve as an aperitif, or at the end of an evening. Or it may accompany
the whole meal.

Dry, Sec

Serve as an aperitif, or with crustaceans , or foie gras, or with nuts and
dried fruits.

Sweet, Doux, Demi-sec

Sweet champagne is another neglected wine, yet is the only kind to serve
with desserts and pastries.

Ill * The Storage and Serving of Wine

Except for champagne, which has sugar added to it to produce the bubbles,
great French wines are the unadulterated, fermented juice from the pressings
of one type of grape originating in one vineyard during one harvest season.
Lesser wines, which can be very good, may also be unadulterated. On the
other hand, they may be fortified with sugar during a lean year to build up

STORAGE AND SERVING

35

their alcoholic strength, or they may be blended with wines from other vine-
yards or localities to give them more body or uniformity of taste. The quality
of a wine is due to the variety of grape it is made from, the locality in which
it is grown, and the climate during the wine-growing year. In exceptional
years such as 1929 and 1947, even lesser wines can be great, and the great ones
become priceless. Vintage charts, which you can pick up from your wine mer-
chant, evaluate the various wines by region for each year.

Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle com-
prises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable
respect it will sicken and die. If it is left standing upright for a length of time,
the cork will dry out, air will enter the bottle, and the wine will spoil. Shaking
and joggling are damaging to it, as are extreme fluctuations of heat and cold.
If it is to be laid down to grow into maturity, it should rest on its side in a
dark, well-ventilated place at a temperature of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
If it is to be kept only for a year or two, it can be laid in any dark and quiet
corner as long as the temperature remains fairly constant and is neither below
50 degrees nor over 65.

Even the most modest wine will improve if allowed to rest for several
days before it is drunk. This allows die wine to reconstitute itself after its
journey from shop to home. Great wines, particularly the red ones, benefit
from a rest of at least two to three weeks.

TEMPERATURE AT WHICH WINE SHOULD BE SERVED

Red wines, unless they are very young and light, are generally served at
a normal room temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. At lower tem-
peratures they do not show off their full qualities. At least four hours in the
dining room are required to bring them slowly up from the temperature of
a 50-degree cellar. Never warm a wine artificially; an old wine can be ruined
if the bottle is heated. It is better to pour it out too cold, and let it warm in the
glass.

White wines, champagnes, and roses are served chilled. As a rule, the
sweeter the wine, the colder it should be. A Sauternes or sweet champagne
will take four to five hours in the refrigerator. For other white wines, two to
three hours are sufficient; if they are too cold, they lose much of their taste.

UNCORKING

Most red wines should be uncorked for a certain amount of time before
serving, to allow the release of pent-up gases. There is no set rule, and one

3 6

WINES

vintage may differ from another. In general, a light young red needs half an
hour, a Burgundy about an hour, and a Bordeaux three to four hours. If you
cannot uncork the wine ahead of time, decant it, which will aerate it. White
wines, champagnes, and roses arc uncorked just before serving.

WINE BASKETS, DECANTERS, AND GLASSES

Old red wines that throw a deposit in the bottom of the bottle must be
handled so as not to disturb the deposit and circulate it through the wine.
Either pour the wine into a decanter leaving the deposit behind, or serve it
from a wine basket where it will remain in a prone position. When serving
from a basket, pour very smoothly so the wine does not slop back into the bot-
tle and agitate the sediment.

Young red wines, white wines, roses, and champagnes throw no deposit,
so the use of a wine basket is silly. The bottle is stood upright after the wine
is poured.

The bigger the wine, the bigger the glass. A small glass gives no room
for the bouquet to develop, nor for the drinker to swirl. A good all-purpose
glass is tulip-shaped and holds % to i cup. It should be filled to just below
the halfway mark.

CHAPTER ONE

SOUP

Potages et Soupes

An excellent lunch or light supper need be no more than a good soup,
a salad, cheese and fruit. And combined according to your own taste, a good
homemade soup in these days of the can opener is almost a unique and always
a satisfying experience. Most soups are uncomplicated to make, and the major
portion of them can be prepared several hours before serving. Here is a varied
handful of good recipes.

A NOTE ON ELECTRIC BLENDERS AND PRESSURE COOKERS

Although we are enthusiastic about the electric blender for many things,
we almost always prefer a food mill to a blender when a soup must be pureed.
There is something un-French and monotonous about the way a blender re-
duces soup to universal baby pap.

A pressure cooker can save time, but the vegetables for a long-simmered
soup should have only 5 minutes under 15 pounds pressure; more gives them
a pressure-cooker taste. Then the pressure should be released and the soup sim-
mered for 15 to 20 minutes so it will develop its full flavor.

* POTAGE PARMENTIER

[Leek or Onion and Potato Soup]

Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself
to make. It is also versatile as a soup base; add water cress and you have a
water-cress soup, or stir in cream and chill it for a vichyssoise. To change die

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

38

formula a bit, add carrots, string beans, cauliflower, broccoli, or anything else
you think would go with it, and vary the proportions as you wish.

For about 2 quarts serving 6 to 8 people

A 3- to 4-quart saucepan or
pressure cooker
3 to 4 cups or 1 lb. peeled
potatoes, sliced or diced
3 cups or 1 lb. thinly sliced
leeks including the tender
green; or yellow onions
2 quarts of water
x Tb salt

Either simmer the vegetables, water, and salt to-
gether, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes until
the vegetables are tender; or cook under 15 pounds
pressure for 5 minutes, release pressure, and simmer
uncovered for 15 minutes.

Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass
the soup through a food mill. Correct seasoning.
(*) Set aside uncovered until just before serving, then
reheat to the simmer.

4 to 6 ITj whipping cream Off heat and just before serving, stir in the cream or

or 2 to 3 Tb softened but- butter by spoonfuls. Pour into a tureen or soup cups

ter and decorate with the herbs.

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley or
chives

VARIATIONS

Potage an Cresson
[Water-cress Soup]

This simple version of water-cress soup is very good. See also the more
elaborate recipe on page 41.

For 6 to 8 people

Ingredients for the leek and
potato soup, omitting
cream or butter enrich-
ment until later
>/4 lb. or about 1 packed cup
of water-cress leaves and
tender stems

Follow the preceding master recipe, but before puree-
ing the soup, stir in the water cress and simmer for
5 minutes. Then puree in a food mill and correct sea-
soning.

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

39

4 to 6 Tb whipping cream
or 2 to 3 Tb softened but-
ter

Optional: a small handful of
water-cress leaves boiled
'/2 minute in water, rinsed
in cold water, and drained

Off heat and just before serving, stir in the cream
or butter by spoonfuls. Decorate with the optional
water-cress leaves.

Cold Water-cress Soup

Use the following vichyssoise recipe, adding water cress to simmer for 5
minutes before pureeing the soup.

Vichyssoise

[Cold Leek and Potato Soup]

This is an American invention based on the leek and potato soup in the
preceding master recipe.

For 6 to 8 people

3 cups peeled, sliced pota-
toes

3 cups sliced white of leek
i'/2 quarts of white stock,
chicken stock, or canned
chicken broth
Salt to taste

Simmer the vegetables in stock or broth instead of
water as described in the master recipe. Puree the soup
either in the electric blender, or through a food mill
and then through a fine sieve.

'/2 to 1 cup whipping cream Stir in the cream. Season to taste, oversalting very
Salt and white pepper slightly as salt loses savor in a cold dish. Chill.

Chilled soup cups Serve in chilled soup cups and decorate with minced

2 to 3 Tb minced chives chives.

OTHER VARIATIONS on Lee\ and Potato Soup

Using the master recipe for leek and potato soup on page 37, a cup or
two of one or a combination of the following vegetables may be added as
indicated. Proportions are not important here, and you can use your imagina

40

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

tion to the full. Many of the delicious soups you eat in French homes and little
restaurants are made just this way, with a leek-and-potato base to which left-
over vegetables or sauces and a few fresh items are added. You can also experi-
ment on your own combinations for cold soups, by stirring a cup or more of
heavy cream into the cooked soup, chilling it, then sprinkling on fresh herbs
just before serving. You may find you have invented a marvelous concoction,
which you can keep as a secret of the house.

To be simmered or cooked in the pressure cooler with the potatoes and
leeks or onions at the start

Sliced or diced carrots or turnips

Peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes, page 505; or strained canned tomatoes
Half-cooked dried beans, peas, or lentils, including their cooking liquid
To be simmered for 10 to 15 minutes with the soup after it has been pureed
Fresh or frozen diced cauliflower, cucumbers, broccoli, Lima beans, peas, string
beans, okra, or zucchini

Shredded lettuce, spinach, sorrel, or cabbage
To be heated in the soup just before serving
Diced, cooked leftovers of any of the preceding vegetables
Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and diced, page 505.

POT AGE VELOUTE AUX CHAMPIGNONS

[Cream of Mushroom Soup]

Here is a fine, rich, mushroom soup either for grand occasions or as the
main course for a Sunday supper.

For 6 to 8 people

A 2'/2-quart, heavy-bot- Cook the onions slowly in the butter for 8 to 10
tomed enameled saucepan minutes, until they are tender but not browned.

V 4 cup minced onions
3 Tb butter

3 Tb flour

Add the flour and stir over moderate heat for 3
minutes without browning.

6 cups boiling white stock
or chicken stock; or
canned chicken broth and

Off heat, beat in the boiling stock or broth and blend
it thoroughly with the flour. Season to taste. Stir in
the mushroom stems, and simmer partially covered

MUSHROOM SOUP

2 parsley sprigs, Zs bay
leaf, and % tsp thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
The chopped stems from %
to i lb. fresh mushrooms

2 Tb butter
An enameled saucepan
The thinly sliced caps from
% to i lb. fresh mush-
rooms
14 tsp salt
i tsp lemon juice

2 egg yolks

Zz to } A cup whipping
cream

A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip
A wooden spoon

i to 3 Tb softened butter
Optional: 6 to 8 fluted
mushroom caps, page 5x0,
cooked in butter and
lemon juice; and/or 2 or
3 Tb minced fresh chervil
or parsley

41

for 20 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Strain,
pressing juices out of mushroom stems. Return the
soup to the pan.

Melt the butter in a separate saucepan. When it is
foaming, toss in the mushrooms, salt, and lemon juice.
Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes.

Pour the mushrooms and their cooking j uices into the
strained soup base. Simmer for 10 minutes.

( # ) If not to be served immediately, set aside un-
covered, and film surface with a spoonful of cream or
milk. Reheat to simmer just before proceeding to the
step below, which will take 2 or 3 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl.
Then beat in hot soup by spoonfuls until a cup has
been added. Gradually stir in the rest. Correct season-
ing. Return the soup to the pan and stir over moderate
heat for a minute or two to poach the egg yolks, but
do not let the soup come near the simmer.

Of? heat, stir in the butter by tablespoons. Pour the
soup into a tureen or soup cups, and decorate with
optional mushrooms and herbs.

* POT AGE CREME DE CRESSON

[Cream of Water-cress Soup]

This is a lovely soup, and a perfect one for an important dinner.
For 6 servings

42

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

Vi cup minced green on-
ions, or yellow onions

3 Tb butter

A heavy-bottomed, 254 -
quart saucepan

3 to 4 packed cups of fresh
water cress leaves and
tender stems, washed, and
dried in a towel
54 tsp salt

3 Tb flour

5?4 cups boiling white stock
or canned chicken broth

2 egg yolks

54 cup whipping cream
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip
i to 2 Tb softened butter

A handful of water-cress
leaves dropped for 54
minute in boiling water,
refreshed in cold water,
and drained

Cook the onions slowly in the butter in a covered
saucepan for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender and translu-
cent but not browned.

Stir in the water cress and salt, cover, and cook slowly
for about 5 minutes or until the leaves are tender and
wilted.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir over moderate heat for
3 minutes.

Off heat, beat in the boiling stock. Simmer for 5
minutes, then puree through a food mill. Return to
saucepan and correct seasoning.

(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside un-
covered. Reheat to simmer before proceeding.

Blend the yolks and cream in the mixing bowl. Beat
a cupful of hot soup into them by driblets. Gradually
beat in the rest of the soup in a thin stream. Return
soup to saucepan and stir over moderate heat for a
minute or two to poach the egg yolks, but do not
bring the soup to the simmer. Off heat, stir in the
enrichment butter a tablespoon at a time.

Pour the soup into a tureen or soup cups and decorate
with optional water-cress leaves.

TO SERVE COLD: Omit final butter enrichment and chill. If too thick,
stir in more cream before serving.

VARIATIONS

Potage Creme d’Oseille or Potage Germiny

[Cream of Sorrel Soup]

SPINACH OR SORREL SOUP

43

Potage Creme d’Epinards

[Cream of Spinach Soup]

Follow the recipe for the preceding creme de cresson, using sorrel or
spinach leaves instead of water cress, but cut the leaves into chiffonade (thin
slices or shreds). Do not puree the soup.

* SOU PE A L’OIGNON

[Onion Soup]

The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil,
then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich, flavor
which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2 / 2 hours at
least from start to finish. Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires
some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended.

For 6 to 8 servings

1/2 lbs. or about 5 cups of Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in the
thinly sliced yellow on- covered saucepan for 15 minutes,
ions

3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

A heavy-bottomed, 4-quart
covered saucepan

1 tsp salt

14 tsp sugar (helps the on-
ions to brown)

Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt
and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring fre-
quently, until the onions have turned an even, deep,
golden brown.

3 Tb flour

Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

2 quarts boiling brown
stock, canned beef bouil-
lon, or 1 quart of boiling
water and 1 quart of stock
or bouillon

V2 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth
Salt and pepper to taste

Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine,
and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30
to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct
seasoning.

(*) Set aside uncovered until ready to serve. Then
reheat to the simmer.

44

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

3 Tb cognac Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Pour into a

Rounds of hard-toasted soup tureen or soup cups over the rounds of bread,
French bread (see recipe and pass the cheese separately,
following)

i to 2 cups grated Swiss or
Parmesan cheese

GARNISHINGS FOR ONION SOUP
Croutes - hard-toasted French bread

12 to 16 slices of French Place the bread in one layer in a roasting pan and

bread cut 14 to i inch bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about half an

thick hour, until it is thoroughly dried out and lightly

browned.

Halfway through the baking, each side may be basted
with a teaspoon of olive oil or beef drippings; and
after baking, each piece may be rubbed with cut
garlic.

Croutes au Frontage - cheese croutes

Grated Swiss or Parmesan Spread one side of each croute with grated cheese and
cheese sprinkle with drops of olive oil or beef drippings.

Olive oil or beef drippings Brown under a hot broiler before serving.

Olive oil or beef drippings
A cut clove of garlic

VARIATIONS

Soupe a VOignon Gratinee

[Onion Soup Gratineed with Cheese]

The preceding onion soup
A fireproof tureen or cas-
serole or individual onion
soup pots

2 ounces Swiss cheese cut
into very thin slivers
1 Tb grated raw onion
12 to 16 rounds of hard-
toasted French bread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Bring the soup to the boil and pour into the tureen or
soup pots. Stir in the slivered cheese and grated onion.
Float the rounds of toast on top of the soup, and
spread the grated cheese over it. Sprinkle with the oil
or butter. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, then set
for a minute or two under a preheated broiler to
brown the top lightly. Serve immediately.

ONION SOUP

45

i‘/2 cups grated Swiss, or
Swiss and Parmesan
cheese

i Tb olive oil or melted
butter

Soupe Gratinee des Trots Gourmandes

[Onion Soup Gratineed de Luxe ]

A final fillip to die preceding onion soup may be accomplished in the
kitchen just before serving or by the server at the table.

A 2-quart bowl
i tsp cornstarch
i egg yolk

i tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tb cognac

The preceding onion soup
A soup ladle
A serving fork

Beat the cornstarch into the egg yolk, then the Worces-
tershire and the cognac.

Just before serving the soup, lift up an edge of the
crust with a fork and remove a ladleful of soup. In a
thin stream of droplets, beat the soup into the egg
yolk mixture with a fork. Gradually beat in two more
ladlefuls, which may be added more rapidly.

Again lifting up the crust, pour the mixture back into
the soup. Then reach in under the crust with the ladle
and stir gently to blend the mixture into the rest of
the soup. Serve.

SOUPE AU PISTOU

[Provencal Vegetable Soup with Garlic, Basil and Herbs]

Early summer is the Mediterranean season for soupe au pistou, when
fresh basil, fresh white beans, and broad mange-tout beans arc all suddenly
available, and the market women shout in the streets, “Mesdames, faites le bon
piste, faites le pistou'.’’ The pistou itself, like the Italian pesta, is a sauce made of
garlic, basil, tomato and cheese, and is just as good on spaghetti as it is in this
rich vegetable soup. Fortunately, this soup is not confined to summer and fresh
vegetables, for you can use canned navy beans or kidney beans, fresh or frozen
string beans, and a fragrant dried basil. Other vegetables in season may be

4 6

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

added with the green beans as you wish, such as peas, diced zucchini, and green
or red bell peppers.

For 6 to 8 servings

3 quarts water

2 cups each: diced carrots,
diced boiling potatoes,
diced white of leek or on-
ions

1 Tb salt

(If available, 2 cups fresh
white beans, and omit the
navy beans farther on)

2 cups diced green beans
or i package frozen “cut”
beans

2 cups cooked or canned
navy beans or kidney
beans

Vi cup broken spaghetti or
vermicelli

t slice stale white bread,
crumbled

Za tsp pepper

Pinch of saffron

4 cloves mashed garlic

6 Tb fresh tomato puree,
page 78, or 4 Tb tomato
paste

14 cup chopped fresh basil
or i'/2 Tb fragrant dried
basil

14 cup grated Parmesan
cheese

14 to 14 cup fruity olive oil

Either boil the water, vegetables, and salt slowly in a
6-quart kettle for 40 minutes; or pressure-cook for 5
minutes, release pressure, and simmer uncovered for
15 to 20 minutes. Correct seasoning.

Twenty minutes before serving, so the green vegeta-
bles will retain their freshness, add the beans, spa-
ghetti or vermicelli, bread and seasonings to the boil-
ing soup. Boil slowly for about 15 minutes, or until
the green beans are just cooked through. Correct
seasoning again.

Prepare the following piston while the soup is cook-
ing: place the garlic, tomato puree or paste, basil, and
cheese in the soup tureen and blend to a paste with a
wooden spoon; then, drop by drop, beat in the olive
oil. When the soup is ready for serving, beat a cup
gradually into the piston. Pour in the rest of the soup.
Serve with hot French bread, or hard-toasted bread
rounds basted with olive oil, page 44.

* AIGO BOUIDO

[Garlic Soup]

Enjoying your first bowl of garlic soup, you might never suspect what it
is made of. Because the garlic is boiled, its after-effects are at a minimum, and

GARLIC SOUP

47

its flavor becomes exquisite, aromatic, and almost undefinable. Along the
Mediterranean, an digo boiiido is considered to be very good indeed for die
liver, blood circulation, general physical tone, and spiritual health. A head of
garlic is not at all too much for 2 quarts of soup. For some addicts, it is not even
enough.

For 6 to 8 people

I separated head or about
16 cloves whole, unpeeled
garlic

Drop garlic cloves in boiling water and boil 30 sec-
onds. Drain, run cold water over them, and peel.

2 quarts water
2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

2 cloves

!4 tsp sage
Zt tsp thyme
Z2 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs

3 Tb olive oil

A 3-quart saucepan

A wire whip
3 e gg yolks
A soup tureen
3 to 4 Tb olive oil

Place the garlic and the rest of the ingredients in the
saucepan and boil slowly for 30 minutes. Correct
seasoning.

Beat the egg yolks in the soup tureen for a minute
until they are thick and sticky. Drop by drop, beat in
the olive oil as for making a mayonnaise.

A strainer

Rounds of hard-toasted
French bread, page 44
1 cup of grated Swiss or
Parmesan cheese

Just before serving, beat a ladleful of hot soup into
the egg mixture by droplets. Gradually strain in the
rest, beating, and pressing the juice out of the garlic.
Serve immediately, accompanied by the bread and
cheese.

VARIATIONS

Soupe a I’Oeuf, Provencals
[Garlic Soup with Poached Eggs]

The preceding garlic soup, After the soup has been simmered for half an hour,

omitting the egg yolk and strain it into a wide, shallow saucepan. Correct

olive oil liaison seasoning and bring to a simmer. Following directions

6 very fresh eggs on page 116, poach the eggs in the soup.

4 8

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

6 to 8 rounds of hard-
toasted French bread,
page 44

2 to 3 Tb chopped parsley
i cup grated Swiss or Par-
mesan cheese

Place a round of bread in each soup plate and top
with a poached egg. Pour in the soup and decorate
with parsley. Pass the cheese separately.

Soupe a l’ Ail aux Pommes de Terre

[Saffron-flavored Garlic Soup with Potatoes]

Ingredients for garlic soup,
omitting the egg yolk and
olive oil liaison
3 cups diced “boiling” pota-
toes

Pinch of saffron

After the garlic soup has simmered for 30 minutes,
strain it and return it to the saucepan. Simmer the
potatoes in the soup with the saffron for about 20
minutes or until tender. Correct seasoning. Serve with
French bread and grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese.

SOUPE AUX CHOUX - GARBURE

[Main-course Cabbage Soup]

This fine and uncomplicated peasant soup is a comforting dish for a cold
winter day. In the Basque country, a good cabbage soup must always include a
chunk of lard ranee, their slightly rancid and much appreciated salt pork;
otherwise, the dish is considered to lack distinction. In neighboring Bearn,
confit d'oie — preserved goose — is added to the pot to warm up in the soup at
the end of its cooking.

For about 8 people

3V6 quarts water
3 to 4 cups peeled, quar-
tered “boiling” potatoes
A 1 '/2-pound chunk of lean
salt pork, lean bacon, or
smoked, unprocessed ham

2 pounds or 3 quarts of
roughly sliced cabbage
8 crushed peppercorns or a

Place the water, potatoes, and meat in the kettle and
bring it to the boil.

Add the cabbage and all the other ingredients. Sim-
mer partially covered for i 1 / to 2 hours or until the
meat is tender. Discard parsley bundle. Remove the

CABBAGE SOUP

49

big pinch of ground chili
peppers

Salt as necessary, added near
the end

6 parsley sprigs tied with i
bay leaf

Z2 tsp marjoram
Z2 tsp thyme
4 cloves mashed garlic
2 medium onions studded
with 2 cloves

2 peeled, quartered carrots
Optional additions:

2 to 4 peeled, quartered
turnips

2 to 3 sliced celery stalks
1 to 2 cups fresh white
beans, or half-cooked navy
beans, or add canned
white or red beans to soup
10 to 15 minutes before
end of simmering

meat, slice it into serving pieces, and return it to the
kettle. Correct seasoning. Skim off accumulated fat.
(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside un-
covered. Reheat to simmer before serving.

Rounds of hard-toasted
French bread, page 44

Serve in a tureen or soup plates, accompanied by the
bread.

TWO MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUPS

How to make a real Mediterranean fish soup is always a subject of lively
and utterly dogmatic discussion among French experts; and if you do not
happen to live on the Mediterranean, you cannot obtain the particular rockfish,
gurnards, mullets, weavers, sea eels, wrasses, and breams which they consider
absolutely essential. But you can make an extremely good fish soup even if you
have only frozen fish and canned clam juice to work with because the other
essential flavorings of tomatoes, onions or leeks, garlic, herbs, and olive oil are
always available.

FISH TO USE

Fish soups are usually made from lean fish. The flavor of the soup is
more interesting if as many varieties of fish are included as possible, and the

5 o

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

soup has more body if a proportion of gelatinous fish such as halibut, eel, and
some of the firmer-fleshed flounder types are used. Here are some suggestions:

Rock, Calico, or Sea Bass

Cod or Lingcod

Conger or Sea Eel

Flounder

Grouper

Grunt

Haddock

Hake or Whiting

Halibut

Lemon Sole

Perch

Pollock or Boston Bluefish
Porgy or Scup
Redfish or Red Drum
Rockfish or Sculpin
Scrod

Red or Gray Snapper
Spot

Fresh-water Trout; Sea Trout or
Weakfish

Shellfish— Clams, Scallops, Mus-
sels, Crab, Lobster

To prepare the fish for cooking, have them cleaned and scaled. Discard
the gills. Save heads and trimmings for fish stock. Cut large fish into crosswise
slices 2 inches wide. Scrub clams. Scrub and soak the mussels, page 226.
Wash scallops. If using live crab or lobster, split them just before cooking.
Remove the sand sack and intestinal tube from lobsters.

SOUPE DE POISSON

[Strained Fish Soup]

Soupe dc poisson has the same taste as bouillabaisse, but the soup is
strained and pasta is cooked in it to give a light liaison. If you are making the
soup on the Mediterranean, you will come home with dozens of tiny, freshly
caught fish all colors of the rainbow. Elsewhere, use whole fish, fish heads,
bones, and trimmings, shellfish carcasses, or just bottled clam juice.

For 6 to 8 people

A soup kettle Cook the onions and leeks slowly in olive oil for 5

1 cup minced onions minutes or until almost tender but not browned.

% cup of minced leek, or Vi
cup more onions
*/2 cup olive oil

[ cloves mashed garlic Stir in the garlic and tomatoes. Raise heat to moderate

1 lb. of ripe, red tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more,
roughly chopped, or 1/2

FISH SOUPS

51

cups drained canned to-
matoes, or '/4 cup tomato
paste

2/2 quarts water

6 parsley sprigs

1 bay leaf

V2 tsp thyme or basil

Vi tsp fennel

2 big pinches of saffron

A 2-inch piece or '/2 tsp
dried orange peel

Vs tsp pepper

1 Tb salt (none if clam juice
is used)

3 to 4 lbs. lean fish, fish
heads, bones, and trim-
mings, shellfish remains,
or frozen fish from the
list, page 50. Or, 1 quart
clam juice, 1V2 quarts of
water, and no salt

Add the water, herbs, seasonings, and fish to the ket-
tle and cook uncovered at a moderate boil for 30 to 40
minutes.

Vi cup to % cup spaghetti
or vermicelli broken into
2-inch pieces
A 3-quart saucepan

Strain the soup into the saucepan, pressing juices out
of ingredients. Correct seasoning, adding a bit more
saffron if you feel it necessary. Stir in the pasta and
boil for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Correct
seasoning again.

Rounds of hard-toasted
French bread, page 44
1 to 2 cups grated Swiss or
Parmesan cheese and
rouille (following recipe)

Pour the soup into a tureen or soup plates over the
bread rounds, and pass the cheese and rouille sepa-
rately.

VARIATION

Substitute 3 or 4 cups of diced “boiling” potatoes for the pasta, or poach
eggs in the soup as for the garlic soup on page 47.

i

52

CHAPTER ONE: SOUP

Routlle

[Garlic, Pimiento, and Chili Pepper Sauce]

The following strong sauce is passed separately with fish soup or bouilla-
baisse; each guest helps himself and stirs it into the soup.

For about 1 cup

Va cup chopped red bell pep-
per simmered for several
minutes in salted water
and drained, or canned
pimiento

A small chili pepper boiled
until tender, or drops of
Tabasco sauce
i medium potato cooked in
the soup

4 cloves mashed garlic

1 tsp basil, thyme, or savory

4 to 6 Tb fruity olive oil Drop by drop, pound or beat in the olive oil as for
Salt and pepper making a mayonnaise. Season to taste.

2 or 3 Tb hot soup Just before serving, beat in the hot soup by driblets.

Pour into a sauceboat.

BOUILLABAISSE

[Bouillabaisse]

You can make as dramatic a production as you want out of a bouilla-
baisse, but remember it originated as a simple, Mediterranean fisherman’s soup,
made from the day’s catch or its unsalable leftovers, and flavored with the typi-
cal condiments of the region — olive oil, garlic, leeks or onions, tomatoes, and
herbs. The fish are rapidly boiled in an aromatic broth and are removed to a
platter; the broth is served in a tureen. Each guest helps himself to both and
eats them together in a big soup plate. If you wish to serve wine, choose a rose,
or a light, strong, young red such as a Cotes de Provence or Beaujolais, or a
strong, dry, white wine from the Cotes de Provence, or a Riesling.

Ideally you should pick six or more varieties of fresh fish, which is why
a bouillabaisse is at its best when made for at least six people. Some of the fish

Pound all ingredients in a bowl or mortar for several
minutes to form a very smooth, sticky paste.

FISH SOUPS

53

should be firm-fleshed and gelatinous like halibut, eel, and winter flounder,
and some tender and flaky like hake, baby cod, small pollock, and lemon sole.
Shellfish are neither necessary nor particularly typical, but they always add
glamor and color if you wish to include them.

The fish, except for live lobsters and crabs, may be cleaned, sliced, and
refrigerated several hours before the final cooking. The soup base may be
boiled and strained. The actual cooking of the fish in the soup will take only
about 20 minutes, and then the dish should be served immediately.

For 6 to 8 people

Ingredients for the preced-
ing soupe de poisson,
minus the pasta. Use
fish heads, bones, and
trimmings, and if you
have not enough of them,
strengthen the soup base
with bottled clam juice

Boil the soup ingredients for 30 to 40 minutes as de-
scribed in the fish soup recipe, page 50. Strain, press-
ing juices out of ingredients. Taste carefully for
seasoning and strength. It should be delicious at this
point, so it will need no further fussing with later.
You should have about 2*4 quarts in a high, rather
narrow kettle.

6 to 8 pounds assorted lean
fish, and shellfish if you
wish, selected and pre-
pared from the sugges-
tions on page 50

Bring the soup to a rapid boil 20 minutes before serv-
ing. Add lobsters, crabs, and firm-fleshed fish. Bring
quickly back to the boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
Add the tender-fleshed fish, the clams, mussels, and
scallops. Bring rapidly to the boil again and boil 5
minutes more or until the fish are just tender when
pierced with a fork. Do not overcook.

A hot platter
A soup tureen
Rounds of hard-toasted
French bread, page 44
/ cup roughly chopped
fresh parsley

Optional: A bowl of

rouille (page 51)

Immediately lift out the fish and arrange on the plat-
ter. Correct seasoning, and pour the soup into the
tureen over rounds of French bread. Spoon a ladleful
of soup over the fish, and sprinkle parsley over both
fish and soup. Serve immediately accompanied by the
optional rouille.

f t

CHAPTER TWO

SAUCES

Sauces

Sauces are the splendor and glory of French cooking, yet there is nothing
secret or mysterious about making them. For while a roster of French sauces
is stupendous, the individual sauces divide themselves into half a dozen definite
groups and each one in a particular group is made in the same general way.
For instance, each of the white sauces — bechamel and veloute— calls for an
identical technique, but any change in ingredients or trimmings gives the
sauce a different name. Bechamel with grated Swiss cheese is sauce mornay.
Bechamel with cream is sauce supreme. A fish veloute enriched with cream,
egg yolks, and butter becomes a sauce normande. The group which stems from
hollandaise follows die same pattern. Hollandaise made with vinegar, shallots,
pepper, and tarragon is called sauce bearnaise. Hollandaise made with white-
wine fish stock is sauce vin blanc. If cream is added to a hollandaise, the sauce
becomes a mousseline. Thus as soon as you have put into practice the basic
formulas for the few mother sauces, you are equipped to command the whole
towering edifice.

Rich sauces should be used sparingly, never more than one to a meal.
And a sauce should never be considered as a disguise or a mask. Its role is to
point up, prolong, and complement the taste of the food it accompanies, to
contrast with it, or to give variety to its mode of presentation. One of its most
useful functions, also, is to make an interesting dish out of something simple
and economical like hard-boiled eggs, plain poached fish, canned food, or
leftovers.

SAUCES

55

The French Family of Sauces

White Sauces

These stem from the two cousins, bechamel and veloute. Both use a flour
and butter roux as thickening agent. Bechamel is moistened with milk; veloute,
with white stock made from poultry, veal, or fish.

Brown Sauces

For the brown sauces, the butter and flour roux is cooked slowly until it
turns a nut brown. Then a brown stock is added.

Tomato Sauce

Egg Yolk and Butter Sauces

Hollandaise is the mother of this family.

Egg Yolk and Oil Sauces

These are all variations of mayonnaise.

Oil and Vinegar Sauces

Vinaigrette — French dressing — heads this family.

Flavored Butters

These include the hot butter sauces, and butters creamed with various
herbs, seasonings, or purees.

WHITE SAUCES

Sauces Blanches

White sauces are rapidly made with a white roux (butter and flour cooked
together) plus milk, or white stock. They go with eggs, fish, chicken, veal, and
vegetables. They are also the base for cream soups, souffles, and many of the
hot hors d’oeuvres.

Sauce bechamel in the time of Louis XIV was a more elaborate sauce
than it is today. Then it was a simmering of milk, veal, and seasonings with an
enrichment of cream. In modern French cooking, a bechamel is a quickly
made milk-based foundation requiring only the addition of butter, cream-
herbs, or other flavorings to turn it into a proper sauce.

56

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Sauce veloute is made in exactly the same way, but its roux is moistened
with chicken, veal, or fish stock, often with a wine flavoring. Milk or cream
are included if you wish.

The roux

In French cooking, the flour and butter, which act as a thickening agent
for the sauce, are always cooked slowly together for several minutes before any
liquid is added. This is called a roux. The cooking eliminates that raw, pasty
taste uncooked flour will give to a sauce, and also prepares the flour particles to
absorb the liquid. The thickness of a sauce is in direct relation to the proportion
of flour you use per cup of liquid. The following table is based on American all-
purpose hard-wheat flour. All flour measurements are for level tablespoons or
fractions.

Thin Sauce or Soup i Tb flour per cup of liquid

Medium, General-purpose Sauce i l / z Tb flour per cup of liquid

Thick Sauce 2 Tb flour per cup of liquid

Souffle Base 3 Tb flour P er CU P of bq uid

Cooking time

Many of the old cookbooks recommend that a white sauce, especially a
veloute, be simmered for several hours, the object being to rid the sauce of its
floury taste, and to concentrate flavor. However, if the flour and butter roux
is properly cooked to begin with, and a concentrated, well-flavored stock is
used, both of these problems have been solved at the start. After a long simmer-
ing, a perfectly executed veloute will acquire a certain added finesse; and if you
have the time to simmer, by all means do so. But for the practical purposes of
this book, we shall seldom consider it necessary.

Saucepan note

White sauces should always be made in a heavy-bottomed enameled,
stainless steel, pyrex, porcelain, or tin-lined copper saucepan. If a thin-bottomed
pan is used, it is a poor heat conductor and the sauce may scorch in the bottom
of the pan. Aluminum tends to discolor a white sauce, particularly one contain-
ing wine or egg yolks.

a note on stocks for veloute sauces

The recipe for homemade white stock is on page 109; for white chicken
stock on page 237; for fish stock on page x 14; and for clam-juice fish stock on

WHITE SAUCES

57

page 1 15. Canned chicken broth may be substituted for homemade white stock
if you give it the following preliminary treatment:

Canned chicken broth

2 cups canned chicken broth Simmer the chicken broth or soup with the vegetables,

or strained clear chicken wine, and herbs for 30 minutes. Season to taste, strain,

and vegetable soup and it is ready to use.

3 Tb each: sliced onions,
carrots, and celery

V2 cup dry white wine or Zs
cup dry white vermouth

2 parsley sprigs, '/ 3 bay leaf,
and a pinch of thyme

* SAUCE BECHAMEL
SAUCE VELOUTE
[White Sauce]

This basic sauce takes about 5 minutes to make, and is then ready for the
addition of flavors or enrichments. Suggestions for these are at the end of the
master recipe.

For 2 cups ( medium thickness)

A heavy-bottomed, 6-cup
enameled, stainless steel,
lined copper, porcelain, or
pyrex saucepan

2 Tb butter

3 Tb flour

A wooden spatula or spoon

In the saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Blend
in the flour, and cook slowly, stirring, until the but-
ter and flour froth together for 2 minutes without
coloring. This is now a white roux.

2 cups of milk and >4 tsp
salt heated to the boil in a
small saucepan
OR 2 cups boiling white
stock (see notes in preced-
ing paragraph)

A wire whip

Remove roux from heat. As soon as roux has stopped
bubbling, pour in all the hot liquid at once. Im-
mediately beat vigorously with a wire whip to blend
liquid and roux, gathering in all bits of roux from the
inside edges of the pan.

Set saucepan over moderately high heat and stir with
the wire whip until the sauce comes to the boil. Boil
for 1 minute, stirring.

CO

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Salt and white pepper

Remove from heat, and beat in salt and pepper to
taste. Sauce is now ready for final flavorings or addi-
tions.

(*) If not used immediately, clean sauce off inside
edges of pan with a rubber scraper. To prevent a skin
from forming on its surface, float a thin film of milk,
stock, or melted butter on top. Set aside uncovered,
keep it hot over simmering water, refrigerate, or
freeze it.

Remarks

If you follow the preceding directions, you will always obtain a smooth
sauce of die correct consistency. But here are some remedial measures in case
you need them:

If sauce is lumpy

If your roux is hot, and your liquid near the boil, you
should never have a lumpy sauce. But if there are
lumps, force the sauce through a very fine sieve or
whirl it in an electric blender. Then simmer it for 5
minutes.

If sauce is too thick

Bring the sauce to the simmer. Thin it out with milk,
cream, or stock, beaten in a tablespoon at a time.

If sauce is too thin

Either boil it down over moderately high heat, stirring
continually with a wooden spoon, until it has reduced
to the correct consistency;

Or blend half a tablespoon of butter into a paste with
half a tablespoon of flour ( beurre matiie). Off heat,
beat the paste into the sauce with a wire whip. Boil for
1 minute, stirring.

ENRICHMENTS FOR WHITE SAUCES

The three following enrichments complete the whole master system of
white-sauce making. While a plain, well-seasoned bechamel or veloute may be
served just as it is, the addidon of butter, cream, or egg yolks transforms it into
something infinitely more delicious.

Butter Enrichment

Fresh butter stirred into a sauce just before serving is the simplest of the
enrichments. It smooths out the sauce, gives it a slight liaison, and imparts that
certain French taste which seems to be present in no other type of cooking.

WHITE SAUCES

59

I'or a cup of simple sauce, ^ to i tablespoon of butter is sufficient; as much as
y 2 cup may be beaten into a fine fish sauce. But if more than a tablespoon of
butter is beaten into a cup of sauce, the sauce should then be served immedi-
ately. If it is reheated, or is kept hot, or if it is used for a gratineed dish, the
butter either liquefies and the sauce thins out just as though it had been
diluted with milk, or the butter releases itself from suspension and floats on
top of the sauce. However, if you slip up and heat a heavily buttered sauce, it
will quickly reconstitute itself if you treat it like turned hollandaise, page 81.

To enrich 2 cups of bechamel or veloute, page 57

2 to 8 Tb butter (x to 2 Tb Just before serving the sauce, and after all the final
is the usual amount) flavorings have been added, remove it from heat. Stir

A wire whip in the butter, a half-tablespoon at a time, beating until

each piece of butter has been absorbed into the sauce
before adding the next. Spoon the sauce over the hot
food, or pour the sauce into a warmed bowl, and serve
immediately.

Cream Enrichment — Cream Sauce

[Sauce Creme - Sauce Supreme ]

With the addition of cream, a bechamel becomes a sauce creme; and a
veloute, a sauce supreme. As the cream thins out the sauce, the basic bechamel
or veloute must be thick enough initially so the finished sauce will be of the
correct consistency.

Cream sauces are used for vegetables, eggs, fish, poultry, hot hors d’oeu-
vres, and for dishes which are to be gratineed.

For 2 cups

i'/2 cups of thick bechamel
or veloute, page 57 (3
Tb flour, 2/2 Tb butter,
and i'/2 cups liquid)

‘/2 cup whipping cream
Salt and white pepper
Lemon juice

Bring the sauce to the simmer. Beat in the cream by
spoonfuls, simmering, until the sauce is the consistency
you wish it to be. Season to taste with salt, pepper,
and drops of lemon juice.

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb softened Off heat, and just before serving, beat in the optional
butter (no butter if sauce butter by half-tablespoons,
is to be used for a
gratineed dish)

6o

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Egg Yolk and Cream Enrichment

\Sauce Parisienne - formerly Sauce Allemande]

Sauces enriched with egg yolks and cream are among the richest and
most velvety in all the French repertoire. Sauce parisienne, or sauce allemande,
is the generic term, but it invariably goes by another name according to its
special flavorings or to the dish it accompanies. The simplest, sauce poulette,
has a base of veloute flavored with meat or fish, onions and mushrooms. The
famous sauce normande is a veloute based on white-wine fish stock and the
cooking liquors of mussels, oysters, shrimps, ecrevisses, and mushrooms. The
shellfish sauces such as cardinal, Nantua, and Joinville are shellfish veloutes
with special trimmings and a shellfish butter enrichment beaten in at die end.
As all of these sauces are a basic veloute with a final enrichment of egg yolks,
cream, and usually butter, if you can make one, you can make all.

Success in making the egg yolk liaison is but a realization that egg yolks
will curdle and turn granular unless diey are beaten with a bit of cold liquid
first, before a hot liquid is gradually incorporated into them so that they are
slowly heated. Once this preliminary step has been completed, the sauce may
be brought to the boil; and because the egg yolks are supported by a flour-based
sauce they may boil without danger of curdling.

The sauce parisienne described in the following recipe is used with eggs,
fish, poultry, hot hors d’oeuvres, and dishes which are to be gratineed. A heavily
buttered sauce parisienne is used principally for fish poached in white wine, as
described beginning on page 214 in the Fish chapter.

For about 2 cups

1/2 cups thick bechamel or Bring the sauce to the simmer in its saucepan.
veloute, page 57 (3 Tb
flour, 2/2 Tb butter, and
1 Vz cups liquid)

A heavy-bottomed, 8-cup
enameled saucepan

2 egg yolks

14 cup whipping cream
An 8-cup mixing bowl
A wire whip

Blend the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl
with a wire whip. A few drops at a time, beat in / 2
cup of hot sauce. Slowly beat in the rest of the sauce
in a thin stream. Pour the mixture back into the

saucepan.

WHITE SAUCES

6 1

A wooden spatula or spoon Set over moderately high heat and stir constantly with

a wooden spoon, reaching all over the bottom of the
pan until the sauce comes to the boil. Boil and stir for
i minute.

Salt and white pepper

Lemon juice

More cream if necessary

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove coagu-
lated bits of egg white which always cling to the yolk.
Rinse out the saucepan and return the sauce to it.
Simmer over low heat to check seasoning, adding salt,
pepper, and drops of lemon juice to taste. If sauce is
too thick, beat in more cream by spoonfuls.

(*) If not used immediately, clean off sides of pan.
and float a film of cream or stock over the surface.
Sauce will thicken and look custardy as it cools, which
is normal. It will smooth out when it is reheated.
(Sauce may be frozen.)

Optional: i to 2 Tb softened Off heat, and just before serving, stir in the optional
butter (occasionally more butter by bits,
is called for; use no but-
ter if sauce is for a
gratineed dish)

SAUCES DERIVED FROM BECHAMEL
AND VELOUTE

Here are some of the principal sauces derived from sauce bechamel and
sauce veloutc, the recipes for which are on page 57.

Sauce Mornay

[Cheese Sauce]

For: eggs, fish, poultry, veal, vegetables, pastas, and hot hors d’oeuvres

Note: If the sauce covers foods which are to be baked or gratineed, use
the minumum amount of cheese suggested, and omit the butter enrichment at
the end of the recipe. Too much cheese can make the sauce stringy, and a butter
enrichment will exude from the top of the sauce.

62

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

2 cups of medium bechamel Bring the sauce to the boil. Remove from heat, and

or veloute, page 57 beat in the cheese until it has melted and blended with

54 to 54 cup of coarsely the sauce,
grated Swiss cheese, or a
combination of coarsely
grated Swiss and finely
grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and optional

Pinch of nutmeg cayenne. Off heat and just before serving, stir in the

Optional: pinch of cayenne optional butter a bit at a time,
pepper and 1 to 2 Tb
softened butter

Sauce Aurore

[Bechamel or Veloute with Tomato Flavoring]
For: eggs, fish, chicken, vegetables

2 cups bechamel or
veloute, page 57, or the
cream sauce, page 59
2 to 6 Tb cooked, fresh
tomato puree, page 78,
or tomato paste

Bring the sauce to the simmer. Stir in the tomato, a
spoonful at a time, until you have achieved the color
and flavor you wish. Correct seasoning.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter Off heat and just before serving, stir in the butter, and
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced the optional herbs,
fresh parsley, chervil,
basil, or tarragon

Sauce Cbivry
Sauce a L’Estragon

[Herbal White Wine Sauce and Tarragon Sauce]

For: eggs, fish, vegetables, or poached chicken

A small enameled saucepan Place all ingredients in the saucepan and boil slowly
1 cup dry white wine or 2 A for 10 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce to about
cup dry white vermouth 3 tablespoons. 1 his is now an herb essence.

WHITE SAUCES

63

4 Tb minced fresh chervil,
tarragon, and parsley, or
tarragon only; OR 2 Tb
dried herbs

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

2 cups bechamel or ve-
loute, page 57, or the
cream sauce, page 59

Strain the essence into the sauce, pressing the juice
out of the herbs. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

3 to 4 Tb minced fresh
green herbs, or parsley, or
tarragon

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Off heat, and just before serving, stir in the fresh
herbs and the enrichment butter.

Sauce an Cart

[Light Curry Sauce]

For: fish, veal, lamb, chicken, turkey, eggs, and vegetables
Here the bechamel or veloute sauce is made simultaneously with the
curry flavorings.

For 2 l /i cups

Vi cup finely minced white
or yellow onions
4 Tb butter

An 8-cup enameled sauce-
pan

Cook the onions and butter over low heat for 10
minutes without allowing the onions to color.

2 to 3 Tb curry powder

Stir in the curry powder and cook slowly for 2
minutes.

4 Tb flour

Add the flour and stir over low heat for 3 minutes
more.

2 cups boiling milk, white
stock, or fish stock

Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Return sauce to
heat and simmer slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally.

4 to 6 Tb whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice

Then stir in the cream by tablespoons, until sauce has
thinned to consistency you wish. Check seasoning, and
add lemon juice to taste.

64

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

i to 2 Tb softened butter Off heat, and just before serving, stir in the butter by
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb minced bits, then the optional parsley,
parsley

Sauce Soubise

[Onion Sauce]

For: eggs, veal, chicken, turkey, lamb, vegetables, and foods which are to
be gratineed

Another version of this excellent sauce is in the Veal section, page 355.
For about 2 Vl cups

1 lb. or 4 cups of sliced yel-
low onions
Z4 tsp salt
6 Tb butter

A 2'/2-quart, heavy-bot-
tomed, enameled sauce-
pan

Cook the onions slowly with salt and butter in a
covered saucepan for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the
onions are very tender but not browned.

4 Tb flour

Add the flour and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.

2 cups boiling milk, white Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Then simmer
stock, or fish stock the sauce slowly for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Force the sauce through a sieve or food mill, or puree
it in the electric blender.

6 to 8 Tb whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Bring again to the simmer, and thin out to desired
consistency with spoonfuls of cream. Add salt, pepper,
and nutmeg to taste.

x to 2 Tb softened butter Off heat and just before serving, stir in the enrichment
(no butter if sauce is to be butter,
used for a gratin&ed dish)

* SAUCE BATARDE
SAUCE AU BEURRE

[Mock Hollandaise]

For: boiled fish, boiled chicken, boiled lamb, boiled potatoes, asparagus,
cauliflower, celery, broccoli

WHITE SAUCES 65

This quickly made and useful sauce does not belong to the bechamel and
veloute family because it is made with an uncooked roux, or beurre manic.
A golden color is given it by the addition of an egg yolk, and when flavored
with enough butter it suggests a hollandaise.

For 2 cups ( medium thickness )

2 Tb melted or softened but- Place the butter and flour in the saucepan and blend

ter them into a smooth paste with a rubber scraper.

3 Tb flour

An 8-cup, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan
A rubber scraper

2 cups boiling white stock, Pour on all the boiling liquid at once and blend vig-
or vegetable cooking wa- orously with a wire whip,
ter, or water and 14 tsp
salt

A wire whip

1 egg yolk

2 Tb whipping cream
An 8-cup mixing bowl
Salt and white pepper
1 to 2 Tb lemon juice

Blend the egg yolk and cream with a wire whip, then,
a few drops at a time, beat in / 2 cup of sauce. Beat in
the rest in a thin stream. Pour the mixture back into
the saucepan. Bring to the boil over moderately high
heat, beating, and boil 5 seconds. Remove from heat
and season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
(*) If not used immediately, film surface with a half-
tablespoon of melted butter.

4 to 8 Tb softened butter

Off heat, and just before serving, beat in the butter, a
tablespoon at a time.

VARIATIONS

Sauce aux Cdpres
[Caper Sauce]

For: boiled fish or boiled leg of lamb

Just before stirring in the enrichment butter, beat in
the capers. Then, off heat, beat in the enrichment but-
ter.

2 cups sauce bdtarde
2 to 3 Tb capers

66

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Sauce a la Moutarde

[Mustard Sauce]

For: broiled mackerel, herring, tuna, or swordfish

2 cups sauce bdtarde omit- Blend the mustard and butter together with a rubber
ting final butter enrich- scraper. Off heat, and just before serving, beat the

ment mustard/butter by tablespoons into the hot sauce.

2 Tb strong Dijon-type pre-
pared mustard

4 to 8 Tb softened butter

Sauce aux Anchois

[Anchovy Sauce]

For: boiled fish or boiled potatoes

2 Tb canned anchovies Just before buttering the sauce, beat in the anchovy

mashed into a puree or i mixture to taste. Then off heat, and before serving,

Tb anchovy paste beat in the enrichment butter.

2 cups sauce bdtarde

BROWN SAUCES

Sauces Brunes

The classical French brown sauce starts out with a long-simmered brown
meat stock that goes into the making of an equally long-simmered, lightly
thickened sauce base called an espagnolc. The espagnole is simmered
and skimmed for several hours more with additional stock and flavorings undl
it finally develops into the traditional mother of the brown sauces, demi-glace.
This may take several days to accomplish, and the result is splendid. But as we
are concerned with less formal cooking, we shall discuss it no further.

A good brown sauce may have as its thickening agent a brown roux of
flour and butter, or cornstarch, potato starch, rice starch, or arrowroot. A flour-
thickened brown sauce must be simmered and skimmed for two hours at least
if it is to develop its full flavor. Starch and arrowroot thickenings take but a few

BROWN SAUCES

67

minutes; and when properly made they are very good indeed. Because they are
far more useful in home cooking than the long simmered and more conven-
tional sauce, we have used them in most of the main-course recipes throughout
this book.

Following are three interchangeable methods for making a basic brown
sauce. Any of them may rapidly be converted into one of the composed sauces
starting on page 71.

A NOTE ON MEAT STOCKS FOR BROWN SAUCES

Recipes for making brown stocks are on pages 107 to no. Canned beef
bouillon may be substituted, as is, for stocks in the first two recipes for brown
sauce. If it is to be used in the last recipe, for starch-thickened sauce, its canned
flavor should first be disguised and enriched as follows (canned consomme
tends to be sweet and is not recommended) :

Canned beef bouillon

2 cups canned beef bouillon

3 Tb each: finely minced
onions and carrots

1 Tb finely minced celery

'/2 cup red wine, dry white
wine, or dry white ver-
mouth

2 parsley sprigs

Zi bay leaf

Vi tsp thyme

Optional: 1 Tb tomato paste

Simmer the canned bouillon with the rest of the in-
gredients listed for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain through
a fine sieve, and the bouillon is ready to be turned
into a sauce.

BROWN SAUCE ( 1 )

SAUCE BRUNE

[Flour-based Brown Sauce]

This is the best of the group and the one most nearly approaching the
traditional demi-glace. Its preliminaires are somewhat exacting, and it requires
at least two hours of simmering; the longer it cooks the better it will be. It may
be refrigerated for several days and freezes perfectly for several weeks.

68

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

A NOTE ON BROWN ROUX

Brown roux, which is the thickening for this type of sauce, is flour and fat
cooked together until the flour has turned an even, nut-brown color. For an
ordinary sauce, the flour is cooked in rendered fresh pork fat, or in cooking oil.
But if the sauce is to accompany a delicate dish, such as foie gras, eggs, or vol-au-
vent, the flour should be cooked in clarified butter — meaning die butter is
melted and decanted, leaving its milky particles behind, as these burn and taste
bitter.

It is important that the roux be cooked slowly and evenly. If the flour is
burned, it will not thicken the sauce as it should, and it will also impart an
unpleasant taste.

For about 1 quart of brown sauce

A heavy-bottomed, 2-quart Cook the vegetables and ham or bacon slowly in the
saucepan butter, fat, or oil for io minutes.

Vi cup each: finely diced
carrots, onions, and celery

3 Tb diced boiled ham (or
diced lean bacon sim-
mered for io minutes
in water, rinsed, and
drained)

6 Tb clarified butter, page
15, rendered fresh pork
fat, or cooking oil

4 Tb flour Blend the flour into the vegetables and stir continually

A wooden spatula or spoon over moderately low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until

the flour slowly turns a golden, nut brown.

A wire whip Remove from heat. With a wire whip, immediately

6 cups boiling brown stock blend in all the boiling liquid at once. Beat in the
or canned beef bouillon tomato paste. Add the herb bouquet.

2 Tb tomato paste
A medium herb bouquet: 3
parsley sprigs, V2 bay leaf,
and *4 tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

Simmer slowly, partially covered, for 2 hours or more,
skimming off fat and scum as necessary. Add more

BROWN SAUCES

69

liquid if sauce thickens too much. You should end up
with about 4 cups of sauce, thick enough to coat a
spoon lightly.

Salt and pepper Correct seasoning. Strain, pressing juice out of vege-

tables. Degrease thoroughly, and the sauce is ready to
use.

( # ) If not used immediately, clean off sides of pan,
and float a film of stock over the top of the sauce to
prevent a skin from forming. When cold, cover and
refrigerate or freeze.

BROWN SAUCE (2)

* SAUCE RAGO0T

[Flour-based Brown Sauce with Giblets]

Sauce ragoiii is essentially like die preceding brown sauce, but has more
character, as it includes bones, trimmings, or giblets gathered from the game,
beef, lamb, veal, goose, duck, or turkey the sauce is to be served with.

For 4 cups

A heavy-bottomed, 3- to 4-
quart saucepan
1 to 4 cups of giblets, bones,
and meat trimmings, raw
or cooked

'/2 cup chopped carrots
V2 cup chopped onions
6 Tb clarified butter (page
15), rendered fresh pork
fat, or cooking oil; more
if needed

Brown the giblets, bones, meat trimmings and
vegetables in hot clarified butter, fat, or oil. Remove
them to a side dish.

4 Tb flour

Slowly brown the flour in the fat remaining in the
saucepan, adding more fat if necessary.

5 to 6 cups boiling brown
stock or canned beef
bouillon

Optional: 1 cup dry white
wine, red wine, or % cup
dry white vermouth

(Continued)

Off heat, beat in the boiling liquid, optional wine,
and optional tomato paste. Add the herb bouquet and
return the browned ingredients. Simmer, skimming
as necessary, for 2 to 4 hours. Strain, degrease, correct
seasoning, and the sauce is ready to use.

70

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Optional: 3 Tb tomato paste
A medium herb bouquet: 3
parsley sprigs, V2 bay leaf,
l A tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

VARIATIONS

Sauce Poivrade

[Brown Game Sauce]

This is the same as sauce ragout. If the game has been marinated, a cup
or two of the marinade is used instead of the optional wine. The final sauce is
highly seasoned with pepper.

Sauce V enais on

[Brown Sauce for Venison]

This is sauce poivrade with / cup red currant jelly and / cup whipping
cream beaten into it just before serving.

BROWN SAUCE ( 3 )

* JUS LIE

[Starch-thickened Brown Sauce]

Jus lie is a most useful alternative to the preceding long-simmered brown
sauces, and takes about 5 minutes to prepare. But it has no culinary interest
whatsoever if it is not made with an excellent base, as it is only stock thickened
with cornstarch or arrowroot. The sauce is usually made with the liquids ob-
tained from the simmering or stewing of meats, and therefore acquires a good,
strong flavor. If it is made from canned bouillon, the bouillon should first be
simmered with wine and seasonings as described under meat stocks on page
67. Cornstarch is the thickening for ordinary brown sauces of this type. Arrow-
root is used when the sauce is to be very clear and limpid, such as that for the
ham braised in Madeira on page 393, or the duck with orange, page 276.
(Potato starch and rice starch are French equivalents of cornstarch.)

For 2 cups

BROWN SAUCES

71

2 Tb cornstarch or arrow-
root

2 cups of excellent brown
stock, or canned beef
bouillon simmered with
wine and seasonings, page
67

A 4-cup saucepan

A wire whip

Blend the cornstarch or arrowroot with 2 tablespoons
of cold stock, then beat in the rest of the stock. Sim-
mer for 5 minutes, or until sauce has cleared and is
lightly thickened. Correct seasoning.

Optional: % cup Madeira, Add optional wine or cognac, and simmer for 2 to 3
port, or cognac minutes, tasting, until the alcohol has evaporated.

( # ) Sauce may be set aside, and reheated when
needed.

SAUCES DERIVED FROM BROWN SAUCE

Following are some of the principal composed sauces which are made with
any of the three preceding brown sauces. They are almost always combined
with the cooking juices of the dishes they accompany, and thereby pick up
additional flavor.

Sauce Viable

[Peppery Brown Sauce]

For: broiled chicken, roast or braised pork, pork chops, hot meat left-
overs

A 4-cup saucepan or your
meat-cooking pan with its
degreased juices
1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

1 Tb butter or cooking fat
1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth

Cook the shallots or green onions slowly with the
butter or cooking fat for 2 minutes without brown-
ing. Then add the wine and boil it down rapidly until
it has reduced to 3 or 4 tablespoons.

Pour in the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Season
with enough pepper to give it a spicy taste.

Black pepper
Cayenne pepper

2 cups brown sauce (pages
67 to 71)

72

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

1 to 3 Tb softened butter Off heat, and just before serving, swirl butter into the

2 to 3 Tb fresh minced sauce a bit at a time. Stir in the parsley or herbs,

parsley or mixed green

herbs

Sauce Piquante

[Brown Sauce with Pickles and Capers]

For: roast or braised pork, pork chops, boiled or braised tongue, boiled
beef, and hot meat leftovers

The preceding sauce diable plus:

2 Tb finely chopped pickles Just before removing the sauce from heat, stir in the

2 Tb capers pickles and capers. Simmer a moment, then, off heat,

beat in the butter and herbs.

Sauce Robert
[Brown Mustard Sauce]

For: roast or braised pork, pork chops, boiled beef, broiled chicken, or
turkey, hot meat leftovers, hamburgers

A heavy-bottomed, 6-cup Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil or fat,

saucepan or your meat- for io to 15 minutes until they are tender and lightly

cooking pan with its de- browned,
greased juices

!4 cup finely minced yellow
onions
1 Tb butter
1 tsp oil or cooking fat

1 cup dry white wine or % Add the wine and boil it down rapidly until it has

cup dry vermouth reduced to 3 or 4 tablespoons.

2 cups brown sauce, pages Add the brown sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Correct

67 to 71 seasoning.

3 to 4 Tb Dijon-type pre- Off heat and just before serving, beat the mustard
pared mustard creamed mixture into the sauce, tasting. Beat in the parsley,
with 2 or 3 Tb softened and serve.

butter and % tsp sugar
2 to 3 Tb fresh minced
parsley

BROWN SAUCES

73

Sauce Brune aux Fines Herbes
Sauce Brune a I’Estragon
[Brown Herb or Tarragon Sauce]

For: sauteed chicken, veal, rabbit, braised vegetables, hot meat leftovers,
and poached or baked eggs

A 2- to 3-cup enameled Place all the ingredients in the saucepan and boil
saucepan slowly for xo minutes, reducing the wine to 2 or 3

1 cup dry white wine or % tablespoons. This is now an herb essence,
cup dry white vermouth

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

4 Tb fresh herbs or 2 Tb
dried herbs as follows:
parsley, basil, chervil, rose-
mary, oregano, and tarra-
gon only

2 cups of brown sauce, pages Strain the herb essence into the brown sauce, pressing
t0 7 1 the juices out of the herbs. Simmer for 1 minute.

A 6- to 8-cup saucepan

1 to 3 Tb softened butter Off heat, and just before serving, beat the butter into

2 to 3 Tb fresh minced the sauce by bits, then beat in the herbs,

parsley, mixed green

herbs, or tarragon

Sauce Brune au Cart
[Brown Curry Sauce]

For: lamb, chicken, beef, rice, and egg dishes

A heavy-bottomed, 8-cup Cook the onions slowly in the butler and oil for about
saucepan 15 minutes, until they are tender and lightly browned.

1V2 cups finely minced yel-
low onions
2 Tb butter
1 tsp oil

74

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

3 to 4 Tb curry powder

Blend in the curry powder and cook slowly for 1
minute.

Optional: 2 cloves mashed
garlic

Stir in the optional garlic and cook slowly for half a
minute.

2 cups brown sauce, pages
67 to 71

Add the brown sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

2 to 3 tsp lemon juice

Correct seasoning and add lemon juice to taste.

1 to 3 Tb softened butter

2 to 3 Tb fresh minced
parsley

Off heat, and just before serving, beat in the butter
by bits. Stir in the parsley.

Sauce Duxelles
[Brown Mushroom Sauce]

For: broiled or sauteed chicken, veal, rabbit, or for egg dishes, hot meat
leftovers, or pastas

A heavy-bottomed, 8-cup
saucepan

14 lb. (1 cup) finely minced
fresh mushrooms or
mushroom stems only
2 Tb shallots or green onions
1 Tb butter
V 2 Tb oil

Saute the mushrooms with the shallots or onions in
hot butter and oil for 4 to 5 minutes.

V 2 cup dry white wine or l A
cup dry white vermouth

Add the wine and boil it down rapidly until it has
reduced almost completely.

i'/2 cups brown sauce, pages
67 to 71

i’/2 Tb tomato paste

Stir in the brown sauce and tomato paste and simmer
for 5 minutes. Correct seasoning.

1 to 3 Tb softened butter
3 to 4 Tb mixed green herbs
or parsley

Off heat and just before serving, stir in the butter by
bits, then the herbs or- parsley.

BROWN SAUCES

75

Sauce Chasseur

[Brown Mushroom Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs]

For: same as preceding sauce duxelles

Sauce chasseur is almost the same as sauce duxelles, but a bit more hearty
in flavor. The recipe for it is described in the Veal section under escalopes de
veau chasseur on page 368.

Sauce Madere

[Brown Madeira Sauce]

Sauce au Porto

[Brown Port-wine Sauce]

For: filet of beef, or for ham, veal, chicken livers, and egg dishes, or to
sauce a garniture for vol-au-vents

Boil the wine in the saucepan until it has reduced to
about 3 tablespoons.

Add the brown sauce and simmer for a minute or
two. Taste carefully for seasoning and strength, add-
ing meat glaze if you have it and feel it necessary. If
more wine is needed, add it by tablespoons, simmer-
ing briefly to evaporate the alcohol.

Off heat and just before serving, beat in the butter by
bits.

Zi cup Madeira or port

A 6-cup saucepan

2 cups excellent brown
sauce, pages 67 to 71

Optional: 1 to 2 tsp meat
glaze, page no

3 to 4 Tb Madeira or port, if
necessary

2 to 3 Tb softened butter

Sauce Perigueux

[Brown Madeira Sauce with Truffles]

For: flet of beef, fresh foie gras, ham, veal, egg dishes, and timbales

The preceding sauce Madere Prepare the Madeira sauce as in the preceding recipe,

2 to 4 diced canned truffles but add the truffle juice to reduce with the Madeira at
and their juice the beginning. After flavoring the sauce, stir in the

truffles and simmer for a minute. Off heat, beat the
butter into the sauce just before serving.

76

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

OTHER BROWN SAUCES

The following brown sauces are incorporated into recipes in other parts
of the book.

Brown deglazing sauce

This sauce is made by dissolving the coagulated cooking juices in a roast-
ing or sauteing pan with wine or stock after the meat has been removed. The
liquid is boiled down until it is syrupy. Off heat a lump of butter is swirled in to
give the sauce a slight liaison. It is one of the most delicious, useful, and simple
of all the brown sauces, and is described in countless recipes. A good illustration
is the deglazing sauce for roast chicken, page 240.

Sauce a I'ltalienne, a brown sauce with ham, mushrooms, and herbs, as de-
scribed under braised sweetbreads, page 4x1. The sauce may also be used for
brains, sauteed liver, egg dishes, and pastas.

Sauce Bordelaise, a red wine sauce widi beef marrow, described in the Kidney
section under rognons de veau a la bordelaise, page 419. The sauce is also good
with steaks, hamburgers, and egg dishes.

Sauce a VOrange, a brown sauce with orange flavoring and orange peel, as
described in the Duck section for canard a 1 ' orange, page 276. The same sauce
could also be used with baked ham or roast pork.

Sauce Bourguignonne, a red wine sauce always accompanied by a garniture
of bacon, mushrooms, and braised onions, as described under poached eggs
a la bourguignonne on page 121. It also goes with sweetbreads or brains,
sauteed beef, and chicken. Boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin are examples,
pages 315 and 263.

TOMATO SAUCES

Sauces T ornate

SAUCE TO MATE

[Tomato Sauce]

This good basic tomato sauce is served just as it is, or may be flavored with
herbs or combined with other sauces whenever you wish a tomato flavoring.
It is at its best with fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes or canned tomato puree

TOMATO SAUCES

77

will also produce a good sauce. You will notice, during its simmering, that it
really should cook for about an hour and a half to develop its full flavor.

For about 2 l /2 cups

A heavy-bottomed, 2Z2- Cook the vegetables and the ham or bacon slowly in
quart saucepan the butter and oil for 10 minutes without letting them

14 cup each: finely diced brown,
carrots, onions, and celery

2 Tb minced boiled ham;

OR 2 Tb minced lean
bacon, simmered for xo
minutes in water, rinsed,
and drained

3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

1Z2 Tb flour Blend the flour into the ham and vegetables, and cook

slowly for 3 minutes, stirring.

1V2 cups boiling stock or Off heat, beat in the stock or bouillon,
canned beef bouillon

2 lbs. (4 cups) chopped, ripe, Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Add the garlic
red tomatoes which need and herbs. Simmer for i l / 2 to 2 hours, skimming oc-

not be peeled; OR 3 cups casionally, and adding water if sauce reduces and
canned tomatoes; OR thickens too much. You should end up with about
1V2 cups canned tomato 2 l / 2 cups of rich, fairly thick sauce,
puree and zZz cups water
!4 tsp salt
14 tsp sugar

2 unpeeled cloves garlic
4 parsley sprigs
Z 2 bay leaf
14 tsp thyme

1 to 2 Tb tomato paste, if Strain, pressing juice out of ingredients. Correct
necessary seasoning. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste if

you feel the sauce lacks color, and simmer again for
5 minutes.

( # ) If not used immediately, film surface with stock
or a few drops of oil. May be refrigerated or frozen.

78

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

COULIS DE TOMATES A LA PROVEN CALL

[Fresh Tomato Puree with Garlic and Herbs]

For: broiled or boiled chicken, boiled beef, meat patties, hot meat left-
overs, eggs, pastas, and pizzas

Here is a thick, concentrated tomato sauce with real Mediterranean flavor.

For about 2 cups

A heavy-bottomed, 3-quart
saucepan

/} cup finely minced yellow
onions

2 Tb olive oil

Cook the onions and olive oil slowly together for
about 10 minutes, until the onions are tender but not
browned.

2 tsp flour

Stir in the flour and cook slowly for 3 minutes with-
out browning.

3 lbs. ripe red tomatoes,
peeled, seeded, juiced, and
chopped, page 505 (about
4'/ 2 cups)

% tsp sugar
2 cloves mashed garlic
A medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, Zt. bay leaf,
and Va tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth
Zs tsp fennel
Zb tsp basil

Small pinch of saffron
Small pinch of coriander
A i-inch piece (Z4 tsp) dried
orange peel
V2 tsp salt

Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, garlic, herbs, and season-
ings. Cover pan and cook slowly for 10 minutes, so
the tomatoes will render more of their juice. Then
uncover and simmer for about half an hour, adding
spoonfuls of tomato juice or water if the sauce be-
comes so thick it risks scorching. The puree is done
when it tastes thoroughly cooked and is thick enough
to form a mass in the spoon. Remove herb bouquet.
If necessary, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
for color, and simmer 2 minutes. Correct seasoning.
Strain the sauce if you wish.

( # ) May be refrigerated or frozen.

1 to 2 Tb tomato paste, if
necessary
Salt and pepper

HOLLANDAISE

79

THE HOLLANDAISE FAMILY

SAUCE HOLLANDAISE

[Hollandaise Sauce: Egg Yolk and Butter Sauce flavored with Lemon

Juice]

Hollandaise sauce is made of warmed egg yolks flavored with lemon juice,
into which butter is gradually incorporated to make a thick, yellow, creamy
sauce. It is probably the most famous of all sauces, and is often the most
dreaded, as the egg yolks can curdle and the sauce can turn. It is extremely easy
and almost foolproof to make in the electric blender, and we give the recipe
on page 81. But we feel it is of great importance that you learn how to make
hollandaise by hand, for part of every good cook’s general knowledge is a
thorough familiarity with the vagaries of egg yolks under all conditions. The
following recipe takes about 5 minutes, and is almost as fast as blender
hollandaise. It is only one of numerous methods for hollandaise, all of which
accomplish the same result, that of forcing egg yolks to absorb butter and hold
it in creamy suspension.

TWO POINTS TO REMEMBER when making hollandaise by hand

The heating and thickening of the egg yolks

So that the egg yolks will thicken into a smooth cream, they must be
heated slowly and gradually. Too sudden heat will make them granular. Over-
cooking scrambles them. You may beat them over hot water or over low heat;
it makes no difference as long as the process is slow and gentle.

T he butter

Egg yolks will readily absorb a certain quantity of butter when it is fed
to them gradually, giving them time to incorporate each addition before
another is presented. When too much is added at a time, particularly at first, the
sauce will not thicken. And if the total amount of butter is more than the yolks
can absorb, the sauce will curdle. About 3 ounces of butter is the usual maxi-
mum amount per yolk. But if you have never made hollandaise before, it is
safer not to go over 2 ounces or / cup.

For 1 to IV2 cups hollandaise — serving 4 to 6 people

6 to 8 ounces of butter ( } A Cut the butter into pieces and melt it in the saucepan

to 1 cup or i'/2 to 2 sticks) over moderate heat. Then set it aside.

A small saucepan

8o

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

A 4- to 6-cup, medium- Beat the egg yolks for about 1 minute in the sauce-
weight, enameled or stain- pan, or until they become thick and sticky,
less steel saucepan
A wire whip
3 e gg y° lks

1 Tb cold water
1 Tb lemon juice
Big pinch of salt

1 Tb cold butter Add the tablespoon of cold butter, but do not beat it

A pan of cold water (to cool in. Then place the saucepan over very low heat or

off the bottom of the barely simmering water and stir the egg yolks with a

saucepan if necessary) wire whip until they slowly thicken into a smooth

cream. This will take 1 to 2 minutes. If they seem to
be thickening too quickly, or even suggest a lumpy
quality, immediately plunge the bottom of the pan in
cold water, beating the yolks to cool them. Then con-
tinue beating over heat. The egg yolks have thick-
ened enough when you can begin to see the bottom of
the pan between strokes, and the mixture forms a
light cream on the wires of the whip.

r Tb cold butter Immediately remove from heat and beat in the cold

butter, which will cool the egg yolks and stop their
cooking.

The melted butter Then beating the egg yolks with a wire whip, pour

on the melted butter by droplets or quarter-teaspoon-
fuls until the sauce begins to thicken into a very
heavy cream. Then pour the butter a little more
rapidly. Omit the milky residue at the bottom of the
butter pan.

Salt and white pepper Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon

Drops of lemon juice juice.

Keeping the sauce warm

Hollandaise is served warm, not hot. If it is kept too warm, it will thin
out or curdle. It can be held perfectly for an hour or more near the very faint
heat of a gas pilot light on the stove, or in a pan of lukewarm water. As hol-
landaise made with the maximum amount of butter is difficult to hold, use the
minimum suggested in the recipe, then beat softened or tepid butter into the
sauce just before serving.

Add the water, lemon juice, and salt, and beat for
half a minute more.

HOLLAND AISE

8l

A restaurant technique

A tablespoon or two of bechamel or veloutd sauce, page 57, beaten into the
hollandaise, or a teaspoon of cornstarch beaten into the egg yolks at the begin-
ning, will help to hold a sauce that is to be kept warm for a long period of time.

If the sauce is too thic\

Beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot water, vegetable cooking liquid, stock,
milk, or cream.

If the sauce refuses to thicken

If you have beaten in your butter too quickly, and the sauce refuses to
thicken, it is easily remedied. Rinse out a mixing bowl with hot water. Put in
a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of the sauce. Beat with a wire whip
for a moment until the sauce creams and thickens. Then beat in the rest of the
sauce half a tablespoon at a time, beating until each addition has thickened
in the sauce before adding the next. This always works.

If the sauce curdles or separates— ‘turned sauce”

If a finished sauce starts to separate, a tablespoon of cold water beaten into
it will often bring it back. If not, use the preceding technique.

Leftover hollandaise

Leftover hollandaise may be refrigerated for a day or two, or may be
frozen. It is fine as an enrichment for veloutes and bechamels; beat it into the
hot white sauce off heat and a tablespoon at a time just before serving.

If the leftover sauce is to be used again as a hollandaise, beat 2 tablespoons
of it in a saucepan over very low heat or hot water. Gradually beat in die rest
of the sauce by spoonfuls.

Hollandaise Sauce Alade in the Electric Blender

This very quick method for making hollandaise cannot fail when you
add your butter in a small stream of droplets. If the sauce refuses to thicken,
pour it out, then pour it back into the whizzing machine in a thin stream of
droplets. As the butter cools, it begins to cream and forms itself into a thick
sauce. If you are used to handmade hollandaise, you may find the blender va-
riety lacks something in quality; this is perhaps due to complete homogeniza-
tion. But as the technique is well within the capabilities of an 8-year-old child,
it has much to recommend it.

For about 24 cup

3 e Sg yolks Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, and seasonings in

2 Tb lemon juice the blender jar.

% tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

82

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

4 ounces or i stick of butter Cut the butter into pieces and heat it to foaming hot

in a small saucepan.

A towel, if you do not have Cover the jar and blend the egg yolk mixture at top
a splatterproof blender jar speed for 2 seconds. Uncover, and still blending at

top speed, immediately start pouring on the hot but-
ter in a thin stream of droplets. (You may need to
protect yourself with a towel during this operation.)
By the time two thirds of the butter has gone in, the
sauce will be a thick cream. Omit the milky residue
at the bottom of the butter pan. Taste the sauce, and
blend in more seasonings if necessary.

(*) If not used immediately, set the jar in tepid, but
not warm, water.

For More Sauce

The amount of butter you can use in a blender is only half the amount the
egg yolks could absorb if you were making the sauce by hand, when 3 egg yolks
can take 8 to 9 ounces of butter rather than the 4 ounces in die preceding recipe.
However, if you added more butter to die blender than the 4 ounces specified,
the sauce would become so thick that it would clog the machine. To double
your amount of sauce, then, pour it out of the blender jar into a saucepan or
bowl and beat into it an additional 14 CU P melted butter, added in a stream
of droplets.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOLLANDAISE

FAMILY

Except for die mousseline sabayon mentioned at the end of this section,
all the other members of the family are made in exactly the same way as hol-
landaise sauce. The basic flavorings may be vinegar and herbs instead of lemon
juice, or concentrated white-wine fish stock, but the technique does not vary.

Stirred-in Trimmings

A plain hollandaise may have a number of trimmings such as the follow-
ing stirred into it:

HERBS

For poached eggs or boiled fish, stir in a mixture of minced parsley, chives,
and tarragon.

HOLLANDAISE

83

PUREES AND MINCES

From 2 to 3 tablespoons of pureed artichoke hearts, asparagus tips, or
cooked shellfish stirred into a hollandaise make it a good sauce for egg dishes.
Or use finely minced sauteed mushrooms — see the recipe for mushroom dux-
elles on page 515.

Hollandaise avec Blancs d’Oeufs

[Hollandaise with Beaten Egg Whites]

For: fish, souffles, asparagus, egg dishes

Stiffly beaten egg whites folded into hollandaise swell and lighten the
sauce so that it may serve more people.

2 or 3 stiffly beaten egg Just before serving, fold the egg whites into the
whites, page 159 hollandaise.

1/2 cups sauce hollandaise,
page 79

Sauce Mousseline

Sauce Chantilly

[Hollandaise with Whipped Cream]

For: fish, souffles, asparagus

V 2 cup chilled whipping Beat the chilled cream in a chilled bowl with a chilled
cream beater as described on page 580.

i'/2cups sauce hollandaise, Fold it into die hollandaise just before serving,
page 79

Sauce Maltaise

[Orange-flavored Hollandaise]

For: asparagus or broccoli

This sauce is made like an ordinary hollandaise except for the orange
flavoring. Proceed as follows:

8 4

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

3 e gg yolks
i Tb lemon juice

1 Tb orange juice
Pinch of salt

2 Tb cold butter

Zi to % cup melted butter

Beat the egg yolks until thickened, then beat in the
liquids and salt. Add i tablespoon of cold butter, and
thicken the mixture over low heat. Beat in the other
tablespoon of cold butter, then the melted butter.

2 to 4 Tb orange juice Finish the sauce by beating in the orange juice by

The grated peel of an spoonfuls, then the orange peel,
orange

HOLLANDAISE SAUCES FOR FISH

When a hollandaise type of sauce is to accompany filets of fish poached
in white wine, or a fish souffle, the fish-poaching liquid is boiled down to a
concentrated essence, or fumet, and is used in place of lemon juice as a flavoring
for the sauce.

Sauce Vin Blanc

[Hollandaise with White-wine Fish Fumet ]

i cup white-wine fish stock Boil down the fish stock until it has reduced to 3

tablespoons. This is now a fumet de poisson. Allow it
to cool.

Ingredients for the sauce Proceed with the hollandaise as usual, substituting

hollandaise, page 79, the fish fumet for the lemon juice and water,
omitting lemon juice and
water

Sauce Mousseline Sabayon

[Hollandaise with Cream and White-wine Fish Fumet ]

The recipe for this extremely good sauce, in which the egg yolks arc thick-
ened with cream and fish fumet, is on page 169 under souffle de poisson.

Sauce Bearnaise

'[Bearnaise Sauce]

For: steaks, boiled or fried fish, broiled chicken, egg dishes, timbales
Bearnaise sauce differs from hollandaise only in taste and strength; in-

HOLLAND AISE

85

stead of lemon juice, its basic flavoring is a reduction of wine, vinegar, shallots,
pepper, and tarragon. The techniques for making the two sauces are similar.
For IV2 cups

'A cup wine vinegar
/ cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth
1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

1 Tb minced fresh tarragon
or Vz Tb dried tarragon
Vs tsp pepper
Pinch of salt
A small saucepan

Boil the vinegar, wine, shallots or onions, herbs, and
seasonings over moderate heat until the liquid has
reduced to 2 tablespoons. Let it cool.

3 e ss y°iks

2 Tb cold butter
!4 to Vi cup melted butter
2 Tb fresh minced tarragon
or parsley

Then proceed as though making a hollandaise, page
79. Beat the egg yolks until thick. Strain in the vine-
gar mixture and beat. Add 1 tablespoon of cold but-
ter and thicken the egg yolks over low heat. Beat in
the other tablespoon of cold butter, then the melted
butter by droplets. Correct seasoning, and beat in the
tarragon or parsley.

VARIATIONS

The two following sauces are also for steaks, fish, chicken, and eggs.

Sauce Choron
[Tomato-flavored Bcarnaise\

2 to 4 Tb tomato paste or Beat the tomato by tablespoons into the sauce
puree bearnaise and correct seasoning.

i l /i cups sauce bearnaise

Sauce Colbert
[Bearnaise with Meat Glaze]

1 to 1V2 Tb meat glaze, Stir the melted meat glaze into the sauce bearnaise.
page no, melted in x
Tb white wine
1/2 cups sauce bearnaise

86

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

THE MAYONNAISE FAMILY

MAYONNAISE

[Mayonnaise: Egg Yolk and Oil Sauce]

Mayonnaise like hollandaise is a process of forcing egg yolks to absorb a
fatty substance, oil in this case, and to hold it in thick and creamy suspension.
But as the egg yolks do not have to be warmed, the sauce is that much simpler
to make than hollandaise. Mayonnaise may be produced by hand, with an
electric beater, or in an electric blender. Blender mayonnaise, see page 88, uses
a whole egg rather dian egg yolks ; it is almost automatic, and no culinary skill
whatsoever enters into its preparation. Mayonnaise made by hand or with an
electric beater requires familiarity with egg yolks. And again, as with hollan-
daise, you should be able to make it by hand as part of your general mastery
of the egg yolk. It is certainly far from difficult once you understand the proc-
ess, and after you have done it a few times, you should easily and confidently
be able to whip together a quart of sauce in less than io minutes.

POINTS TO REMEMBER when making mayonnaise by hand

Temperature

Mayonnaise is easiest to make when all ingredients are at normal room
temperature. Warm the mixing bowl in hot water to take the chill off die egg
yolks. Heat the oil to tepid if it is cold.

EggYol^s

Always beat the egg yolks for a minute or two before adding anything to
them. As soon as they are thick and sticky, they are ready to absorb the oil.

Adding the Oil

The oil must be added very slowly at first, in droplets, until the emulsion
process begins and the sauce thickens into a heavy cream. After this, the oil
may be incorporated more rapidly.

Proportions

The maximum amount of oil one U.S. Large egg yolk will absorb is 6
ounces or % cup. When this maximum is exceeded, the binding properties of
die egg yolks break down, and the sauce thins out or curdles. If you have never
made mayonnaise before, it is safest not to exceed / 2 cup of oil per egg yolk.
Here is a table giving proportions for varying amounts of sauce:

MAYONNAISE

87

Number of

Egg Yolks Cups of Oil

2 1 to 1 Vi cups

3 1 Vi to 254 cups

4 2 to 3 cups

6 3 to 4 Vi cups

Vinegar and/or
Lemon Juice

2 to 3 Tb

3 to 5 Tb

4 to 6 Tb
6 to 10 Tb

Amount of
Finished Sauce
i !4 to 1 3 A cups
2 to 2% cups
2 Vi to 3% cups
3 3 A to 5 Vi cups

For 2 to 2 3 A Cups of Hand-beaten Mayonnaise

Note: The following directions are for a hand-beaten sauce. Exactly the
same system is followed for an electric beater. Use the large bowl, and the
moderately fast speed for whipping cream. Continually push the sauce into
the beater blades with a rubber scraper.

A round-bottomed, 2V2- to
3-quart glazed pottery,
glass, or stainless-steel
mixing bowl. Set it in a
heavy casserole or sauce-
pan to keep it from slip-
ping.

3 e gg y° lks

A large wire whip

1 Tb wine vinegar or lemon
juice

Vi tsp salt

Vi tsp dry or prepared mus-
tard

1 Vi to 2 Vi cups of olive oil,
salad oil, or a mixture of
each. If the oil is cold,
heat it to tepid; and if you
are a novice, use the
minimum amount.

Warm the bowl in hot water. Dry it. Add the egg
yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick
and sticky.

Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and mustard.
Beat for 30 seconds more.

The egg yolks are now ready to receive the oil, and
while it goes in, drop by drop, you must not stop
beating until the sauce has thickened. A speed of 2
strokes per second is fast enough. You can switch
hands or switch directions, it makes no difference as
long as you beat constantly. Add the drops of oil with
a teaspoon, or rest the lip of the bottle on the edge of
the bowl. Keep your eye on the oil rather than on the
sauce. Stop pouring and continue beating every 10
seconds or so, to be sure the egg yolks are absorbing
the oil. After *4 to / 2 cup of oil has been incorporated,
the sauce will thicken into a very heavy cream and the
crisis is over. The beating arm may rest a moment.

88

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Then beat in the remaining oil by i to 2 tablespoon
dollops, blending it thoroughly after each addition.

Drops of wine vinegar or
lemon juice as needed

When the sauce becomes too thick and stiff, beat in
drops of vinegar or lemon juice to thin it out. Then
continue with the oil.

2 Tb boiling water Beat the boiling water into the sauce. This is an anti-

Vinegar, lemon juice, salt, curdling insurance. Season to taste,
pepper, and mustard

If the sauce is not used immediately, scrape it into a
small bowl and cover it closely so a skin will not form
on its surface.

REMEDY FOR TURNED MAYONNAISE

You will never have trouble with freshly made mayonnaise if you have
beaten the egg yolks thoroughly in a warmed bowl before adding the oil, if the
oil has been added in droplets until the sauce has commenced to thicken, and
if you have not exceeded the maximum proportions of % cup of oil per egg
yolk. A mayonnaise has turned when it refuses to thicken, or, in a finished
mayonnaise, when the oil releases itself from suspension and the sauce curdles.
In either case, the remedy is simple.

Warm a mixing bowl in hot water. Dry it. Add x teaspoon of prepared
mustard and 1 tablespoon of sauce. Beat with a wire whip for several seconds
until they cream and thicken together. Beat in the rest of the sauce by teaspoons,
thickening each addition before adding the next. This always works. Just be
sure you add the turned sauce a little bit at a time, particularly at first.

REFRIGERATION

After several days under refrigeration, mayonnaise has a tendency to thin
out, especially if it is sdrred before it comes to room temperature. If it does
turn, bring it back using the preceding system.

Mayonnaise Made in the Electric Blender

Mayonnaise in the electric blender must be made with a whole egg, and
is a lighter sauce than handmade egg-yolk mayonnaise. It will keep several days
longer in the refrigerator before it turns or thins out, but can be brought back
just as easily as the handmade sauce by blending 2 tablespoons of turned sauce

MAYONNAISE

89

with 1 teaspoon of prepared mustard for a few seconds until thickened. The
rest of the sauce is blended in by teaspoons. Blender mayonnaise, when thick
enough, can be used to cover cold foods such as fish and eggs.

For about 1 V 4 cups

1 whole egg
!4 tsp dry mustard
'/2 tsp salt

Break the egg into the blender jar. Add the mustard
and salt. Cover and blend at top speed for 30 seconds,
or until mixture is thick and foamy.

1 Tb lemon juice or wine
vinegar

Pour in the lemon juice or vinegar, and blend for 10
seconds.

1 cup olive oil, salad oil, or Uncover jar, and blending at high speed, pour the oil
a mixture of both into the center of the egg mixture in a very thin

stream of droplets. It is important that the oil be added
slowly. The sauce will begin to thicken after '/> cup
has gone in. If it becomes too thick, blend in a few
drops of lemon juice or vinegar. Taste, and blend in
additional seasonings if needed.

MAYONNAISE VARIATIONS

Mayonnaise aux Vines Herbes
[Mayonnaise with Green Herbs]
For: hors d’oeuvres, eggs, fish, meats

3 to 4 Tb of fresh, minced
green herbs, such as
tarragon, basil, chervil,
chives, parsley, oregano
1 54 cups mayonnaise, page
86 or 88

If the sauce is to be kept for several days, blanch the
herbs for 1 minute in boiling water. Drain, run cold
water over them, and pat dry with a towel. The herbs
will look greener, and will not turn sour in the sauce.
Stir them into the mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise V erte
[Green Herbal Mayonnaise]

For: hors d’oeuvres, eggs, fish, meats

Ingredients for about 4 Tb Bring 1 cup of water to the boil in a small saucepan,
of herb puree: Add the spinach and shallots or onions and boil 2

90

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

8 to io spinach leaves minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients and boil

2 Tb chopped shallots or i minute more. Strain, run cold water over the herbs,
green onions and pat dry with a towel.

*4 cup water-cress leaves
*4 cup parsley leaves
i Tb fresh tarragon or V%

Tb dried tarragon
Optional: 2 Tb fresh chervil

Ingredients for i '/2 cups of
mayonnaise, page 86 or

88

If you are making the mayonnaise in an electric
blender, add the herbs to the blender with the egg,
then proceed as usual. For a handmade mayonnaise,
either puree the herbs in a blender, or chop them into
a puree and force them through a sieve, then stir the
herbs into the finished sauce.

Sauce Riviera
Beurre Montpellier

[Green Mayonnaise with Butter or Cream Cheese, Pickles, Capers, and
Anchovies]

For: hors d’oeuvres, sandwich spreads, eggs, fish, and as a spread for cold
sliced veal, beef, or pork
For about 2J4 cups

2 Tb each: sour pickles,
capers, and canned ancho-
vies or anchovy paste
y 2 cup softened butter or
cream cheese

The preceding mayonnaise
verte

Chop the pickles, capers, and anchovies into a very
fine mince, then cream them with the butter or cheese.
Beat the mixture, a tablespoon at a time, into the
green mayonnaise.

Sauce Tartare

[Hard Yolk Mayonnaise]

The yolks of hard-boiled eggs will also absorb oil and turn into a mayon-
naise, but with its own characteristic taste and consistency. When sieved egg
whites are beaten into it, the sauce acquires a nice lightness and body which

MAYONNAISE

91

makes it useful for spooning over cold foods. This sauce cannot be made in an
electric blender; it becomes so stiff the machine clogs.

For IV 2 to 2 cups

3 hard-boiled egg yolks
1 Tb prepared mustard
*/4 tsp salt

Pound and mash the egg yolks in a mixing bowl with
the mustard and salt until you have a very smooth
paste. Unless the yolks are smooth and free from
lumps, they will not absorb the oil.

1 cup oil

Wine vinegar or lemon
juice as needed

Proceed as for regular mayonnaise, page 86, beat-
ing in the oil by droplets at first until the sauce has
thickened, and thinning out with vinegar or lemon
juice as necessary.

3 to 4 Tb minced sour
pickles

3 to 4 Tb minced capers
2 to 4 Tb minced fresh
green herbs such as pars-
ley, chives, tarragon
Optional: 2 or 3 sieved hard-
boiled egg whites

Twist the minced pickles and capers into a ball in the
corner of a towel to extract their juice. Beat them
gradually into the sauce. Then beat in the herbs, and
finally the optional egg whites. Correct seasoning.

Sauce Remoulade

[Mayonnaise with Anchovies, Pickles, Capers, and Herbs]

With the addition of half a teaspoon or so of anchovy paste, sauce remou-
lade has the same flavorings as sauce tartare, but it is a regular mayonnaise
rather than one made with hard yolks.

Mayonnaise Collee

[Gelatin Mayonnaise - for Decorating Cold Dishes]

When gelatin is dissolved and congealed in mayonnaise, the sauce will
hold its shape and can be used for coating cold eggs, fish, and vegetables, or
may be squeezed out of a pastry bag to make fancy decorations.

For about 1 34 cups

(This is the correct consistency for coating cold foods with a spoon. If the
mayonnaise is to be forced through a pastry bag, it must be stiffer; you would
use 2 tablespoons of gelatin dissolved in y 2 cup of liquid then beaten into 2
cups of mayonnaise.)

92

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Vi cup of liquid as follows:
2 Tb white wine or white
vermouth
i Tb wine vinegar
1/2 Tb chicken-, beef-, or
fish-stock

1 Tb (1 envelope) gelatin

Pour the liquid into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the
gelatin on it and let it dissolve for several minutes.
Then stir the mixture over low heat until the gelatin
is completely free of granules. Let it cool to tepid.

1Z2 cups mayonnaise, page Beat the gelatin mixture gradually into the mayon-
86 or 88 naise. Correct seasoning. The sauce will thin out, then

gradually thicken as the gelatin sets.

Use it just before it sets. If it becomes too stiff, stir it
briefly over gentle heat.

Sauce Aioli

[Provencal Garlic Mayonnaise]

For: boiled fish, especially cod, bourridc (Provencal fish soup), snails,
boiled potatoes, green beans, and hard-boiled eggs

This rich, thick mayonnaise with its fine garlic flavor must be made in a
fairly traditional way if it is to have its correct taste and consistency. The garlic
should be pounded in a mortar until it is mashed into a very smooth paste. You
cannot make it successfully in an electric blender because for some unfortunate
reason die garlic acquires a raw and bitter taste, and the egg white required for
blender-made sauce does not produce the fine, heavy texture that is character-
istic of a proper Mediterranean aioli.

For about 2 cups

1 slice — Vs inch thick — of
stale, white homemade-
type bread

3 Tb milk or wine vinegar

Remove crusts and break the bread into a small bowl.
Stir in the milk or vinegar and let the bread soak for
5 to 10 minutes into a soft pulp. Twist the bread into
a ball in the corner of a towel to extract the liquid.

A heavy bowl or mortar
A wooden pestle
4 to 8 cloves mashed garlic

Place the bread and garlic in the bowl and pound with
the pestle for at least 5 minutes to mash the garlic and
bread into a very, very smooth paste.

1 egg yolk
14 tsp salt

Pound in the egg yolk and salt until the mixture is
thick and sticky.

MAYONNAISE

93

1/2 cups good olive oil
A wire whip

3 to 4 Tb boiling water or
fish stock

2 to 3 Tb lemon juice

Then, drop by drop, pound and blend in the olive oil
When the sauce has thickened into a heavy cream, you
may switch from a pestle to a wire whip and add the
oil a little bit faster. Thin out the sauce as necessary
with drops of water or stock, and lemon juice. Sauce
should remain quite heavy, so it holds its shape in a
spoon. Correct seasoning.

Note: If the sauce turns or curdles, you can recon-
stitute it by following the directions for turned may-
onnaise on page 88.

Fish Soup Note

If the aioli is to be stirred into a fish soup, more egg yolks are used, usually
one per person.

Sauce Alsacienne
Sauce de Sorges

[Herbal Mayonnaise Made with Soft-boiled Eggs]

For: hot boiled beef, chicken, or fish
For about 2 cups

2 eggs Boil the eggs for 3 minutes (3V2 if they are chilled).

Place the yolks in a mixing bowl and put the whites—
which should be just set — aside.

1 Tb prepared mustard
V2 tsp salt

1 Tb wine vinegar or lemon
juice
1 cup oil

Proceed as for making mayonnaise, page 86, beating
the yolks until they are thick and sticky, then beating
in the mustard, salt, and vinegar or lemon juice.
Finally beat in the oil, drop by drop at first.

14 cup whipping cream, sour Gradually beat the additional liquid into the sauce,
cream, or beef, chicken, or Beat in the rest of the ingredients. Season to taste,
fish stock

1V2 Tb finely minced shallot
or green onions
1 14 Tb capers

3 to 4 Tb minced parsley,

94

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

tarragon, basil, etc.; or
dill only

The soft-boiled egg whites,
chopped or seived

OIL AND VINEGAR SAUCES

Vinaigrettes

* SAUCE VINAIGRETTE

[French Dressing]

For: salads and simple marinades

The basic French dressing of France is a mixture of good wine vinegar,
good oil, salt, pepper, fresh green herbs in season, and mustard if you like it.
Garlic is employed usually only in southern France. Worcestershire, curry,
cheese, and tomato flavorings are not French additions, and sugar is heresy.

The usual proportion of vinegar to oil is one to three, but you should
establish your own relationship. Lemon juice or a mixture of lemon and vine-
gar may be used, and the oil may be a tasteless salad oil, or olive oil. For salads,
make the dressing in the empty bowl or a jar, so that all ingredients are well
blended and flavored before the salad is mixed with the dressing. And be sure
the salad greens are perfectly dry so the dressing will adhere to the leaves. Salad
dressings are always best when freshly made; if they stand around for several
days they tend to acquire a rancid taste.

For about V2 cup

/ 2 to 2 Tb good wine vine-
gar or a mixture of vine-
gar and lemon juice
Vs tsp salt

Optional: !4 tsp dry mus-
tard

6 Tb salad oil or olive oil
Big pinch of pepper

Either beat the vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl with
the salt and optional mustard until the salt is dis-
solved, then beat in the oil by droplets, and season
with pepper, or place all ingredients in a screw-top jar
and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend thor-
oughly.

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced
green herbs, such as pars-
ley, chives, tarragon, basil;
or pinch of dried herbs.

Stir in the optional herbs
before dressing the salad.

and correct seasoning just

FRENCH DRESSING

95

VARIATIONS

Sauce Ravigote

[Vinaigrette with Herbs, Capers, and Onion]

For: cold or hot boiled beef, boiled chicken, boiled fish, pig’s feet, calf’s
head, and vegetables

x cup vinaigrette, page 94 Stir all the ingredients into the vinaigrette and taste
1 tsp chopped capers for seasoning.

1 tsp very finely minced
shallot or green onions

2 Tb minced fresh green
herbs, parsley, chives,
tarragon, chervil, or pars-
ley only

Vinaigrette a la Creme

[Sour Cream Dressing — Dill Sauce]

For: cold eggs, vegetables, and cold or hot fish

1 egg yolk

4 Tb whipping cream or
sour cream

'/2 cup vinaigrette, page 94

Lemon juice to taste

2 Tb minced fresh green
herbs, parsley, chives,
tarragon, chervil, burnet,
or just dill

Beat the egg yolk and cream in a bowl until thor-
oughly blended. Then beat in the vinaigrette in a
stream of droplets as though making a mayonnaise.
Season to taste with lemon juice, and stir in the herbs.

Sauce Moutarde

[Cold Mustard Sauce with Herbs]

For : cold beef, pork, and vegetables

96

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

2 Tb prepared mustard,
preferably the strong
Dijon type

3 Tb boiling water

Rinse a small mixing bowl in hot water. Add the
mustard and beat with a wire whip, adding the water
by droplets.

Vi to V2 cup olive oil or salad
oil

Again by droplets, beat in the olive oil to make a
thick, creamy sauce.

Salt and pepper Beat in salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Then

Lemon juice beat in the herbs.

1 to 2 Tb parsley or minced
fresh green herbs

HOT BUTTER SAUCES

Sauces au Beurre

* BEURRE BLANC
BEURRE NANTAIS
[White Butter Sauce]

For: boiled, baked, or broiled fish, shellfish, asparagus, broccoli, cauli
flower, poached eggs

This famous sauce originated in Nantes, on the Loire river, and is tradi-
tionally served with pike, brochet au beurre blanc. Warm, thick, creamy, and
butter-colored, beurre blanc is actually nothing but warm butter flavored with
shallots, wine, vinegar, salt, and pepper. The trick in making it is to keep the
butter from turning oily; that is, it must retain its creamy appearance. A chem-
ical process takes place once the wine and vinegar base is boiled down and the
acids are well concentrated, so that when the butter is gradually beaten in, the
milk solids in the butter remain in suspension rather than sinking to die bottom
of the pan as they usually do when butter is melted. For this reaction to take
place, the initial amount of vinegar must be a strong one. Once the creaming
process has started, you can go on beating in butter to double the amount of
that given in the recipe. You can also beat in less, but if you do so the sauce
may have too acid a taste.

For IV2 cups

HOT BUTTER SAUCES

97

A 6-cup, medium-weight, Boil the liquids, shallots or onions, and seasonings
enameled saucepan until they have reduced to about i/ 2 tablespoons.

!4 cup white wine vinegar
14 cup dry white wine or
lemon juice

i Tb very finely minced
shallots or green onions
14 tsp salt
14 tsp white pepper

A wire whip Remove saucepan from heat and immediately beat in

12 ounces (3 sticks) best- 2 pieces of chilled butter. As the butter softens and
quality, chilled butter cut creams in the liquid, beat in another piece. Then set
into 24 pieces the saucepan over very low heat and, beating con-

Salt and pepper stantly, continue adding successive pieces of butter as

Lemon juice each previous piece has almost creamed into the

sauce. The sauce will be thick and ivory-colored, the
consistency of a light hollandaise. Immediately re-
move from heat as soon as all the butter has been
used. Beat in additional seasonings to taste.

Transfer the sauce to a barely warmed bowl, and
serve.

Holding the Sauce

Beurre blanc will thin out and turn oily almost at once if it is reheated
or if it is kept over hot water. It must be held over water of a barely tepid tem-
perature, just warm enough to keep the butter from congealing. Or place the
sauce near the very faint heat of a gas pilot light.

T urned Sauce

Sauce that has thinned or turned oily may be made creamy again by beat-
ing a spoonful in a cold mixing bowl, then gradually beating in the rest of the
sauce by small spoonfuls. It cannot be reheated, but you can beat 2 or 3 table-
spoons of hot liquid into it a bit at a time.

Leftover Sauce

Beurre blanc congeals as it cools and looks like butter. It may be spread
over broiled fish, used for making a hollandaise, or substituted for the butter
enrichment in a bechamel or veloute.

9 «

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

VARIATION

Beurre au Citron

[Lemon Butter Sauce]

For: broiled or boiled fish, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower
This is a minor variation of beurre blanc, and very nice with fish or vege-
tables.

For about V2 cup

A 2- to 4-cup, medium-
weight, enameled sauce-
pan

Zt cup lemon juice
Zs tsp salt

Pinch of white pepper

Boil down the lemon juice with the salt and pepper
until it has reduced to 1 tablespoon.

A wire whip

4 ounces (1 stick) chilled
butter cut into 8 pieces

Remove from heat and immediately beat in 2 pieces
of chilled butter. Set over very low heat and beat in
the rest of the butter, a piece at a time, to make a
thick, creamy sauce. Immediately remove from heat.

2 to 3 Tb hot fish or vege-
table stock or hot water

Just before serving, beat in the hot liquid by driblets
to warm the sauce. Correct seasoning and serve in a
barely warmed sauceboat.

BEURRE NOIR

BEURRE NOISETTE

[Brown Butter Sauce]

For: shirred eggs, calf’s brains, boiled or sauteed fish, chicken breasts,
vegetables

A good brown butter sauce is rarely seen because not many cooks will
take the trouble to make it so that it is a clear, unspeckled brown. It should
never be black despite the poesy of the French title. To be really good, it must
be made with clarified butter because the milk solids in regular butter turn
black and bitter, speckling the sauce.

For about 24 cup

HOT BUTTER SAUCES

99

Cut the butter into pieces and place in the saucepan
over moderately low heat. When the butter has
melted, skim off the foam, and decant the clear yellow
liquid into a bowl. Omit all the milky residue at the
bottom of the pan. Rinse out the pan, and strain the
butter back into it.

Set over moderate heat. The butter will foam and
crackle a bit, and as it ceases to sputter it will begin
to brown. As soon as it has turned a golden nut
brown, remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Pour
it into another saucepan.

4 Tb wine vinegar or lemon Pour the vinegar or lemon juice into the empty but-
juice ter-cooking pan and boil it down rapidly until it has

Salt and pepper to taste reduced to about x tablespoon. Stir it into the browned

butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(*) Keep over hot water until ready to serve.

VARIATION WITH CAPERS

i Tb capers Stir the capers into the butter with the parsley.

COLD FLAVORED BUTTERS

Beurres Composes

Butter can be put to a variety of appetizing uses when it has been creamed
with herbs, wine, mustard, egg yolks, shellfish meat, or other flavorings.

On Hot Dishes

Place a piece of cold flavored butter on top of grilled fish or meat just as
it is sent to the table.

For Basting

Baste meat, fish, or mushrooms with flavored butter as it cooks in the

oven.

Sauce and Soup Enrichment

Stir flavored butter into a sauce or soup just before serving.

3 Tb minced parsley

6 ounces (1/2 sticks) butter
A small saucepan of me-
dium weight

IOO

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Egg Filling or Sandwich Spread

Cream butter, egg yolks, and herbs together and use as a filling for hard-
boiled eggs, or as a sandwich spread.

Decorations

Fill a pastry bag with chilled but still malleable flavored butter and
squeeze it out in fancy designs to decorate appetizers or cold dishes.

Cutout Designs

Spread flavored butter on a plate and chill it. Then dip a knife or cutter
in hot water and form fancy shapes for canapes or cold dishes.

HOW TO CREAM BUTTER
[Beurre en Pommade ]

The butter must always be creamed or beaten before the flavoring is added
to it. You can blend the butter to a cream in an electric beater, pound it in a
bowl with a pestle, or mash it, a bit at a time, with the back of a wooden spoon,
then beat it vigorously until it is light and creamy. Then the flavorings and the
butter are creamed togedrer, and the mixture is put in a cool place to firm up.
If it is refrigerated, it will become as hard as an ordinary piece of chilled butter.

Beurre de Moutarde

[Mustard Butter]

For: kidneys, liver, steaks, broiled fish, and sauce enrichments

i/ 2 cup butter Cream the butter well. A half-teaspoon at a time, beat

i to 2 Tb prepared mustard, in the mustard. Beat in seasonings and optional parsley
the strong Dijon type or mixed herbs to taste.

Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 Tb fresh

minced parsley or mixed
green herbs

FLAVORED BUTTERS

IOI

Beurre d’Anchois
[Anchovy Butter]

For: broiled fish, egg fillings, sandwiches, sauce enrichments

V2 cup butter Cream the butter well. A half-teaspoon at a time, beat

2 Tb mashed canned ancho- in the anchovies or anchovy paste. Season to taste with
vies or 1 Tb anchovy paste pepper, drops of lemon juice, and optional herbs.

Pepper

Lemon juice to taste

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced
parsley or mixed green
herbs

Beurre d’Ail
[Garlic Butter]

For: broiled or boiled fish, steaks, hamburgers, lamb chops, boiled pota-
toes, canapes, sauce and soup enrichments

The smoothest and best-tasting result will be obtained if the garlic is
pounded to a paste with a pestle and the butter is gradually pounded into it.
A garlic press may be used if you have not the time or patience to pound, but
the result will not be as good either in flavor or in texture.

2 to 8 cloves garlic Set the unpeeled cloves of garlic in the boiling water,

1 quart boiling water bring to the boil for 5 seconds. Drain, peel, and rinse

under cold water. Bring to the boil again for 30
seconds, drain, and rinse. Pound to a smooth paste in
a mortar (or put through a garlic press).

Z2 cup butter Pound or cream the butter and garlic together. Season

Salt and pepper to taste with the salt, pepper, and optional herbs.

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced
parsley or mixed green
herbs

Beurre a I’Oeuf
[Egg Yolk Butter]

For: sandwiches, canapes, hard-boiled eggs, and general decoration

102

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

V2 cup butter Cream the butter well.

4 sieved hard-boiled egg Beat die sieved egg yolks into the butter and season to
yolks taste with salt, pepper, and optional herbs.

Salt and pepper

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced
chives or mixed green
herbs.

Beurre Maitre d’Hotel
[Parsley Butter]

Beurre de Fines Herbes
[Mixed Herb Butter]

Beurre d’Estragon

[Tarragon Butter]

For: broiled meats and fish, and for sauce and soup enrichments

/ 2 cup butter Cream the butter. Drop by drop, beat in the lemon

1 Tb lemon juice juice. Then beat in the herbs, and season to taste with

2 to 3 Tb fresh minced pars- salt and pepper,
ley, or mixed green herbs,

or tarragon (or dried
tarragon and fresh pars-
ley)

Salt and pepper

Beurre Colbert

[Tarragon Butter with Meat Flavoring]

For: broiled meats and fish

Ingredients for the preced- Drop by drop, beat the meat glaze into the tarragon
ing butter using tarragon butter.

1 Tb melted meat glaze
(meat stock reduced to a
syrup), page no

FLAVORED BUTTERS

103

Beurre pour Escargots
[Snail Butter]

For: snails, broiled meats and fish; for basting baked or broiled fish or
mushrooms; for broiled mussels, clams, or oysters

Vz cup butter

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

1 to 3 cloves mashed garlic,
depending on your taste
for garlic

2 Tb minced parsley

Salt and pepper

Cream the butter well. Twist the shallots or onions
into a ball in the corner of a towel to extract their
juice. Beat them into the butter with the garlic and
parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Beurre March and de Vins
[Shallot Butter with Red Wine]

For: steaks, hamburgers, liver, and enrichment of brown sauces

!4 cup red wine Boil the wine with the shallots or onions, meat flavor-

1 Tb minced shallot or ing, and pepper until the liquid has reduced to about
green onions 1/2 tablespoons. Let it cool.

1 Tb meat glaze or Vz cup
brown stock or canned
beef bouillon
Big pinch of pepper

Vz cup butter
1 to 2 Tb minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Cream the butter well, then beat it, a tablespoon at a
time, into the wine flavoring. Beat in the parsley, and
season to taste.

Beurre Bercy

[Shallot Butter with White Wine]

For: steaks, hamburgers, liver, and enrichment of brown sauces

Ingredients for the preced- Follow the preceding recipe, then proceed to the
ing shallot butter, but sub- optional next step,
sdtute dry white wine or
vermouth for the red wine

104

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Optional: 3 to 4 Tb diced Stir in the optional beef marrow along with the final
beef marrow softened for seasonings.

3 or 4 minutes in hot
salted water, page 19

Beurre de Crustaces

[Shellfish Butter]

For: sandwich spreads, canapes, hard-boiled eggs, decoration of cold
dishes; for enrichment of shellfish sauces and bisques, and canned and frozen
shellfish soups

Shellfish butters are made with the cooked debris, such as legs, chests,
eggs, and green matter of lobster, crab, crayfish, or shrimps. The red shells
color the butter a creamy rose, and both shell and bits of flesh give a lovely
flavor to the mixture. You can also make shellfish butter with the meat alone,
and color the butter with a bit of tomato paste.

Traditionally, the shells and meat are placed in a large marble mortar,
and are pounded into a puree with a heavy wooden pestle. Then they are
pounded with the butter so every bit is thoroughly mixed together. Finally
the whole mass is forced through a fine-meshed drum sieve to remove all
minute pieces of shell. This long and arduous process needs no further ex-
planation. You just pound; the result is exquisite. An excellent butter may be
made in an electric blender in a fraction of the time:

For about 2 A cup

1 cup cooked shellfish debris Chop the debris or meat into '/-inch pieces, or put it
OR Z2 cup cooked, whole, through a meat grinder,
unpeelcd shrimp
Or Z2 cup cooked shellfish
meat and 1Z2 Tb tomato
paste

Za lb (Z2 cup) hot melted Fill the electric blender jar with hot water to heat it
butter thoroughly. Empty and dry quickly. Then add the

shellfish. Immediately pour in the hot melted butter,
cover, and blend at top speed. The butter will cream
into a stiff paste in a few seconds. Pour the mixture
into a saucepan, heat until the butter has warmed and
melted. Blend again. Repeat, if you feel it necessary.

FLAVORED BUTTERS

105

A fine-meshed sieve set over
a bowl

A pestle or wooden spoon
Salt and white pepper

Rub through a very fine sieve, extracting as much nut-
ter and shellfish meat as possible. As the butter cools
and partially congeals, beat it with a wooden spoon.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

( # ) May be frozen.

Second pressing

To extract the remaining butter and flavor from the debris left in dxe
sieve, steep the debris in an equal amount of almost simmering water for 5
minutes in a saucepan over very low heat. Strain, and chill. The congealed
butter on top of the liquid may be used for sauce enrichments. The liquid
itself may serve as the basis for a fish stock.

OTHER SAUCES

Following is a list of regional or special sauces described in recipes else-
where in this book.

Sauce Speciale a l’ Ail pour Gigot, a special garlic sauce for roast lamb, page 334
Sauce Moutarde a la Normande, a cream and mustard sauce for pork, page 382
Sauce Nenette, cream, mustard, and tomato sauce for pork or boiled beef,
page 387

Sauce Fondue de Fromage, a creamy, wine-flavored cheese sauce with a whiff
of garlic, in the Poached Egg section, page 1x8. This is also good for vege-
tables, fish, chicken, or pastas which are to be gratinccd under a broiler, or
as a spread for hot hors d’oeuvres that are to be browned quickly in the
oven or under the broiler.

Sauce Chaud-froid, Blanc he-neige , a reduction of heavy cream, meat, poultry,
or fish stock, and tarragon, plus gelatin. For coating cold chicken, fish, or
cold molded mousses. This is an excellent cold sauce, and in our opinion
far more delicate than the traditional sauce chaud-froid made from a flour-
thickened veloute. See the recipes for cold breast of chicken on page 551,
for crab on page 553, and for fish mousse on page 562.

io 6

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

STOCKS AND ASPICS

Fonds de Cuisine - Gelee

The wonderful flavor of good French food is the result, more often than
not, of the stock used for its cooking, its flavoring, or its sauce. The French
term fonds de cuisine means literally the foundation and working capital of
the kitchen. A stock is the liquid obtained from the simmering together of
meat, bones — or fish trimmings — with vegetables, seasonings, and water. This
liquid, strained, and boiled down to concentrate its flavor if necessary, is the
basis for soups, the moistening element for stews, braised meats, or vegetables,
and the liquid used in making all the sauces that have a meat or fish flavoring.
Stocks are extremely easy to make, and can simmer quietly by themselves with
little or no attention from the cook. They may be frozen and stored for weeks,
or they may be boiled down until all their water content has evaporated, and
they become a glace de viande, or flavor concentrate.

SUBSTITUTES FOR HOMEMADE STOCK

If you do not have a homemade stock in die larder, you can always use
canned beef bouillon, canned chicken broth, canned mushroom broth, or
bottled clam juice. Such economical substitutes for stock are not usually avail-
able to French cooks, and when simmered with meats, or with wine and aro-
matic vegetables, these canned alternatives are entirely satisfactory. A recipe
for improving canned beef bouillon is on page 67; for canned chicken broth,
on page 57; and for bottled clam juice, on page 115. Bouillon cubes are less
successful, but they should certainly be used in an emergency. Canned con-
somme tends to be sweet and we do not recommend it.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING STOCKS

The most luxurious stocks are made from fresh soup bones, fresh meat,
and vegetables. But unless you intend to make a stock for an absolutely re-
markable consomme, use what you have on hand and add any fresh ingre-
dients you wish to buy. It is a good idea to make a collection in the freezer of
beef, veal, and poultry bones, and meat scraps. Then when a sufficient amount
has accumulated, you can boil up a stock. Both meat and bones give flavor,

STOCKS

107

and the bones, in addition, contain a certain amount of gelatin which gives
body to the stock. Raw veal bones, especially the knuckle, and calf’s feet, if you
can find them, contain the most gelatin. If you want a stock that will jell
naturally, include these in the proportions listed on page 1 12.

Lamb, Ham, and Pork

A few pork bones may be added to the stock kettle, but too much pork
tends to give the stock a sweet flavor. Lamb or ham bones should not be used;
their flavor is too strong for a general-purpose stock. But lamb or ham stocks
are made in die same way as simple stock.

Vegetables

Carrots, onions, celery, and leeks are die usual soup vegetables. A parsnip
or two may be included if you wish. Starchy vegetables will cloud the stock.
Turnips, cauliflower, and the cabbage family in general have too strong a flavor
for a general-purpose stock.

THE PRESSURE COOKER

One would expect a pressure cooker to be the ideal stock-making instru-
ment; but our experiments have shown odierwise. After about 45 minutes of
cooking under 15 pounds of pressure, a meat stock acquires its maximum pres-
sure-cooked flavor. To reach its optimum flavor, it must then be simmered
quietly in an open pot an hour or two more. Poultry stock, in our experience,
acquires an unpleasant flavor if cooked for more than 20 minutes under 15
pounds of pressure. After this lapse of time the pressure should be released
and the stock allowed to simmer, uncovered, for an hour or so longer.

* FONDS DE CUISINE SIMPLE

[Simple Meat Stock]

This is the general formula for a simple stock made from a miscellaneous
collection of bones and meat scraps. It may be employed for meat sauces, the
braising of meats and vegetables, the flavoring of soups, and for deglazing a
roasting pan. The stock may be made from bones alone, but will have more
character if some meat is included ; ideal proportions are about half and half.
The more elaborate stocks follow exactly the same cooking procedure.

For 2 to 3 quarts

io8

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

3 quarts of meat and bones
chopped into 2- to 3-inch
pieces (raw or cooked veal
or beef bones and meat,
and/or poultry carcasses,
scraps, and giblets)

An 8- to 10-quart kettle
Cold water

2 tsp salt

2 medium-sized scraped car-
rots

2 medium-sized peeled on-
ions

2 medium-sized celery stalks
The following tied in
washed cheesecloth:

/a tsp thyme

1 bay leaf
6 parsley sprigs

2 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 whole cloves

Optional: 2 washed leeks

Never allow the liquid to boil; fat and scum incorporate themselves into the
stock and will make it cloudy.

Cooking may be stopped at any time, and continued later.

Never cover the fettle airtight unless its contents have cooled completely, or the
stock will sour.

When your taste convinces you that you have simmered the most out of your
ingredients, strain the stock out of the kettle into a bowl.

TO DEGREASE

Either let the stock settle for 5 minutes, remove the fat from its surface
with a spoon or ladle, then draw scraps of paper toweling over the top of the
stock to blot up the last globules of fat;

Or set the stock, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the fat has hardened
on the surface and can be scraped off.

FINAL FLAVORING

Taste the degreased stock for strength. If its flavor is weak, boil it down
to evaporate some of its water content and to concentrate its strength. Correct
seasoning, and it is ready to use.

Place the meat and bones in the kettle and add cold
water to cover them by 2 inches. Set over moderate
heat. As the liquid comes slowly to the simmer, scum
will start to rise. Remove it with a spoon or ladle for
5 minutes or so, until it almost ceases to accumulate.

Add all the ingredients at the left, and more water if
the liquid does not cover the ingredients by a full
inch. When liquid is simmering again, skim as nec-
essary. Partially cover the kettle, leaving a space of
about 1 inch for steam to escape. Maintain liquid at
a very quiet simmer — just a bubble or two of motion
at the surface — for 4 to 5 hours or more. Accumulated
fat and scum may be skimmed off occasionally. Boil-
ing water should be added if the liquid evaporates be-
low the level of the ingredients.

STOCKS

109

STORAGE

When the stock is cold, cover and refrigerate it, or bottle and freeze it.
Stock kept in the refrigerator must be brought to the boil every 3 or 4 days to
keep it from spoiling.

VARIATIONS

The following are traditional recipes for classical stocks made with fresh
ingredients. You can, of course, vary the proportions according to your pocket-
book and store of leftover bones and meat scraps. These are all simmered in
exactly the same way as the simple stock in the preceding master recipe.

Fonds Blanc

[White Stock - Veal Stock]

White stock is used when you want to make a particularly fine white
veloute sauce or soup. Raw veal releases a tremendous amount of gray and
granular scum that can cloud your stock if it is not completely removed. The
easiest way to deal with this problem is to blanch the veal as described here.

For 2 to 3 quarts

3 lbs. lean, raw veal shank
meat

4 lbs. cracked, raw veal
bones

Place the meat and bones in a kettle. Cover with cold
water, bring to the boil and boil slowly for 5 minutes.
Drain, and rinse the bones and meat under cold water
to remove all scum. Rinse the kettle clean.

Same vegetables, herbs, and Place the bones and meat again in the kettle, cover

seasonings as for the with cold water, bring to the simmer, and skim as

master recipe, page 107 necessary. Then add the vegetables, herbs, and season-
ings. Simmer the stock for 4 to 5 hours or more as
described in the master recipe.

Bonds Blanc de Volatile
[White Poultry Stock]

This stock is used for soups and sauces. Employ the same method and
ingredients as for the preceding white veal stock, but add a whole or parts of a
stewing hen to the kettle along with the vegetables. The chicken may be re-
moved when tender, and the stock simmered several hours longer.

no

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

Fonds Brim
[Brown Stock]

Brown stock is used for brown sauces, consommes, and for the braising
of vegetables and red meats. To give the stock a good color, the meat, bones,
and vegetables are browned before they go into the kettle, otherwise die cook-
ing procedure is the same as for a simple stock, which may also be turned into
a brown stock if you brown the ingredients.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the meat, bones,
and vegetables in the roasting pan and place in the
middle portion of the oven. Turn the ingredients oc-
casionally so they will brown evenly, in 30 to 40
minutes.

Remove from oven and drain fat out of roasting pan.
Transfer the browned ingredients to a soup kettle.
Pour a cup or two of water into the pan, set over heat,
and scrape up all coagulated browning juices. Pour
them into the kettle.

For 3 to 4 quarts

3 lbs. beef shank meat
3 to 4 lbs. cracked beef and
veal bones

2 scrubbed, quartered carrots
2 halved, peeled onions

A shallow roasting pan
An 8- to 10-quart kettle

2 tsp salt
2 celery stalks

Herbs and flavorings listed
in the master recipe, page
107, tied in cheesecloth

Then, following the procedure in the master recipe on
page 107, cover the ingredients in the kettle with cold
water, bring to the simmer, skim. Add the ingredients
at the left and proceed with the recipe. Simmer the
stock 4 to 5 hours or more.

Fonds Brim de Volatile
[Brown Poultry Stock]

The recipe for a simple brown poultry stock is on page 236 in the Poultry
chapter. You will note that poultry bones and scraps should be browned in a
skillet, as they tend to burn and to acquire an unpleasant flavor if browned in
the oven.

Glace de Viande
[Meat Glaze]

Meat glaze is any one of the preceding stocks boiled down until it has re-
duced to a syrup that becomes a hard jelly when it is cold. Three quarts of

STOCKS

III

stock will reduce to i'/2 cups or less of glaze, so it is easily stored. Half a tea-
spoon stirred into a sauce or a soup will often give it just that particular boost
of flavor which it lacks. Meat glaze dissolved in hot water may always be used
in place of stock. It is thus a most useful commodity to have on hand and al-
most invariably has a better flavor than commercial meat extracts and bouillon
cubes.

2 to 3 quarts of any home- Strain the stock and degrease it thoroughly. Bring it
made stock to the boil in an uncovered saucepan and boil it

slowly until it has reduced to about i quart. Strain it
through a very fine sieve into a smaller saucepan
and continue to boil it down until it has reduced to
a syrup which coats the spoon lightly. Watch it during
the last stages to be sure it does not burn. Strain it
into a jar. When it is cold and has turned to a jelly,
cover and refrigerate, or freeze it.

Meat glaze will keep for weeks under refrigeration
If it develops a few spots of mold, no harm is done.
Pry it out of its jar, wash it under warm water. Then
simmer it in a saucepan over low heat with a spoonful
of water until it has again reduced to a thick syrup.

CLARIFICATION OF STOCK

Clarif cation du Bouillon

If you wish to serve a rich homemade consomme, jellied soup, or aspic,
you should clarify your stock so it is beautifully clear and sparkling. This is
accomplished by beating egg whites into cold stock, then heating it to just be-
low the simmer for 15 minutes. The egg-white globules dispersed into the
stock act as a magnet for all its minute cloudy particles. These gradually rise
to the surface, leaving a crystal-clear liquid below them.

Clarification is a simple process if you remember that the stock must be
perfectly degreased, that all equipment must be absolutely free of grease, and
that you must handle the stock gently so the egg whites are not unduly dis-
turbed.

For about 1 quart

5 cups cold stock
Salt and pepper

Degrease the stock thoroughly; any fat particles will
hinder the clarification process. Taste carefully for

1 12

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

A very clean 2 '/2-quart
saucepan

seasoning and oversalt slightly if stock is to be served
cold; salt loses savor in a cold dish.

A very clean 2-quart mixing
bowl

A wire whip

2 egg whites

Optional: l A cup or 2 ounces
of absolutely lean, scraped,
or minced beef
’/4 cup minced green leek
tops or green onion tops
2 Tb minced parsley
V2 Tb tarragon or chervil

5 layers of well-washed,
damp cheesecloth
A very clean colander
A very clean 3-quart bowl
A very clean ladle
y-i cup Madeira, port, or
cognac

Beat 1 cup of stock in the mixing bowl with the egg
whites and add optional ingredients for richer flavor.
Bring the rest of the stock to the boil in the saucepan.
Then, beating the egg-white mixture, gradually pour
on the hot stock in a very thin stream. Pour the mix-
ture back into the saucepan and set over moderate
heat. Until the stock reaches the simmer, agitate it
slowly and continually with a wire whip so that the
egg whites, which will begin to turn white, are being
constantly circulated throughout the liquid. Immedi-
ately the simmer is reached, stop stirring. The egg
whites now will have mounted to the surface. Gently
move the saucepan to the side of the heat so that one
edge of the liquid is barely bubbling. In 5 minutes,
rotate the saucepan a quarter turn. Turn it again in 5
minutes, and once more for a final 5 minutes.

Line the colander with the cheesecloth and place it
over the bowl. The colander should be of a size so
that its bottom will remain above the surface of the
liquid which is to be poured into the bowl. Very
gently ladle the stock and egg whites into the cheese-
cloth, disturbing the egg whites as little as possible.
The clarified stock will drain through the cheese-
cloth, leaving the egg-white particles behind. Allow
the egg whites to drain undisturbed for 5 minutes,
then remove the colander, and stir the wine or co-
gnac into the clarified stock.

JELLIED STOCKS-ASPICS

Gelee

Homemade Jellied Stock

Calf’s feet and veal knuckles contain enough natural gelatin to make
a stock jell by itself; pork rind helps the process. They are added to simmer
with any of the stocks on pages 107 to 1 10 and will provide about 3 quarts of
jelly. Prepare them as follows:

JELLIED STOCKS

113

Either 2 calf’s feet

These can usually be ordered from your butcher, and
come skinned and cleaned. Scrub them under cold
water. Soak them for 8 hours in several changes of
cold water. Then cover them with cold water, boil for
5 minutes, and wash under cold water. They are now
ready to use, and are added to the stock along with the
vegetables.

Or 1 lb. cracked veal knuck- Cover the knuckles with cold water, boil for 5

^ es minutes, then wash under cold water. Add the

knuckles to the stock along with the vegetables.

And, !4 lb. fresh or salt pork Scrub the pork rind in cold water. Cover with cold
nnt * water and simmer for 10 minutes. Rinse under cold

water. Add the rind to the stock along with the
vegetables, calf’s feet, or knuckles.

USING COMMERCIAL GELATIN

Plain stock, clarified stock, canned bouillon, and canned consomme are
turned into aspic (or meat jelly) by adding unflavored gelatin in the follow-
ing proportions:

(1 envelope of powdered American gelatin equals % ounce, 8 grams, or
a scant tablespoon. 1 sheet of French gelatin equals 2 grams; 4 sheets are
the equivalent of 1 envelope of powdered gelatin.)

For jellied soup: 1 envelope of gelatin for each 3 cups of liquid

For aspics or for the decoration of cold dishes: 1 envelope of gelatin for

each 2 cups of liquid

For lining a mold: 1 envelope of gelatin for each i'/ 2 cups of liquid
How to Use Powdered Gelatin

Sprinkle 1 envelope of gelatin into / to % cup of cold stock and let it
soften for 3 to 4 minutes. Then blend it into the rest of the stock and stir over
moderate heat for several minutes until the gelatin has completely dissolved
and the liquid is absolutely free of granules.

How to Use Sheet Gelatin

If you are living in France, you will usually buy gelatin in sheets. Soak
die sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes, until they are soft. Drain them,

CHAPTER TWO: SAUCES

”4

then stir them in the stock over gentle heat until the gelatin has completely
dissolved.

Wine Flavoring

The wine used for flavoring a jelly is almost always port, Madeira, or
cognac. From i to 2 tablespoons per cup is usually sufficient. Stir the wine or
cognac into the hot stock after the gelatin has been dissolved. As most of the
alcohol will evaporate, this small additional amount of liquid will not disturb
the proportions of gelatin.

TESTING JELLIES

Always test out a jelly before using it; the few minutes you spend can
save you from disaster. Pour / z inch of jelly into a chilled saucer and refrig-
erate it for about io minutes until it has set. Then break it up with a fork and
let it sit at room temperature for io minutes. For jellied soups it should hold
its shape softly. For aspics its broken lumps should stand alone, but not be
rubbery. A jelly that is to line a mold should be stiffer, so it can support the
ingredients it is to enclose. If the jelly is too hard, add unjellied stock and test
again. If the jelly is too soft, add more gelatin and test again.

FISH STOCKS

Fumets de Poisson

Fumet de Poisson an Vin Blanc
[White-wine Fish Stock]

The following proportions are for the production of a fine, well-flavored
fish stock to be used as the basis of a fish veloutS sauce. A smaller quantity of
fish would produce a lighter stock suitable for fish-poaching, or fish soups.
For about 2 cups

A 6- to 8-quart enameled or
stainless steel saucepan or
kettle

2 pounds (about 2 quarts)

Place all the ingredients in the saucepan or kettle.
Bring to the simmer, skim, then simmer uncovered
for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, and correct
seasoning. Fish stock may be refrigerated or frozen.

FISH STOCKS

115

lean, fresh fish, fish heads, If refrigerated, boil it up every 2 days to keep it from
and/or bones and trim- spoiling,
mings (halibut, whiting,
or flounder are recom-
mended, or use frozen fish
of good quality. Fresh or
cooked shellfish leftovers
may be included.)

1 thinly sliced onion
6 to 8 parsley stems — not the
leaves, which will darken
the stock
1 tsp lemon juice
Va tsp salt

1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth
Cold water to cover ingredi-
ents

Optional: 14 cup fresh

mushroom stems

Emergency Fish Stock - Clam Juice

A good substitute for fresh fish stock may be made with bottled clam
juice; but remember that clam juice is very salty and becomes even saltier if
it is reduced.

For about 2 cups

A 6-cup enameled or stain-
less steel saucepan
1 14 cups bottled clam juice
1 cup water

1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth
1 thinly sliced onion
6 parsley stems
Optional: 14 cup fresh

mushroom stems

Place all ingredients in the saucepan and simmer for
30 minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce to about 2
cups. Strain, and correct seasoning. If very salty, use
in diluted form.

CHAPTER THREE

EGGS

Oeufs

o nce an egg is taken out of the breakfast category and put to use as a
hot entree, a luncheon, or a supper dish, it offers a great variety of presenta-
tions and you can draw on practically your whole cooking experience for its
saucing and garnishing. In the following selection of recipes, we have con-
centrated on poaching, shirring, baking, scrambling, and omelette making,
with a fundamental recipe for each, and a group of variations.

Wine and eggs have no great sympathy for each other, but as one usually
likes to serve wine with an entree, the best choice would be a fairly dry white
wine with some body — such as Graves, Chablis, or Pouilly-Fuisse — or a rose.

* POACHED EGGS

[Oeufs Poches]

A poached egg is one that has been dropped without its shell into a pan
of barely simmering liquid and cooked for about 4 minutes until the white
is set but the yolk remains liquid. A perfect specimen is neat and oval in shape,
and the white completely masks the yolk. The most important requirement
for poaching is that the eggs be very fresh; the yolk stands high, the white
clings to it in a cohesive mass, and only a small amount of watery liquid falls
away from the main body of the white. A stale egg with a relaxed and watery
white is unpoachable because the white trails off in wisps in the water leaving
the yolk exposed. If the eggs are not quite as fresh as you could wish, simmer
them in their shells for 8 to 10 seconds before poaching. This will often firm

POACHED EGGS

117

up the white just enough so it will hold its shape around the yolk when the
egg is broken into the water. Another solution is to use the 6-minute boiled
eggs on page 118; these do not require exceptional freshness, and, when peeled,
can substitute for poached eggs in any recipe. We are not discussing the egg
poacher with its circular rings to hold each egg; it produces a neat, mechani-
cally circular result out oj even the stalest egg. By all means use an egg poacher
if you do not wish to attempt the free-floating traditional method described
here.

How to poach eggs

To transfer the egg from the shell to the water you may either break it
directly into the water as described below, or break it into a saucer, tilt the
saucer directly over the water, and slip the egg in.

A saucepan or a skillet 8 to Pour 2 inches of water into the pan or skillet and add
10 inches in diameter and 1 tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water. Bring to
2 14 to 3 inches deep the simmer.

Vinegar (which helps the
eggs to hold their shape)

4 very fresh eggs
A wooden spoon or spatula
A skimmer or slotted spoon

Break one of the eggs, and, holding it as closely over
the water as possible, let it fall in. Immediately and
gently push the white over the yolk with a wooden
spoon for 2 to 3 seconds. Maintain the water at the
barest simmer and proceed with the other eggs in the
same manner.

A bowl of cold water After 4 minutes, remove the first egg with the skim-

mer and test with your finger. The white should be
set, the yolk still soft to the touch. Place the egg in the
cold water; this washes off the vinegar and stops the
cooking. Remove the rest of the eggs as they are done,
and poach others in the same water if you are doing
more.

( # ) The eggs may remain for several hours in cold
water, or may be drained and refrigerated.

A bowl of hot water con-
taining 1/2 tsp salt per
quart

A clean towel

To reheat the eggs, trim off any trailing bits of white
with a knife. Place them in hot salted water for about
half a minute to heat them through. Remove one at a
time with a slotted spoon. Holding a folded towel
under the spoon, roll the egg back and forth for a
second to drain it, and it is ready to serve.

n8

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

A SUBSTITUTE FOR POACHED EGGS
Oeufs Mollets
[Six-minute Boiled Eggs]

This is a boiled egg with a set white and a soft yolk which can be peeled
and substituted for poached eggs.

2 quarts boiling water Lower the eggs into the boiling water and boil slowly

6 eggs with uncracked shells according to the following table, adding i minute if

the eggs are chilled.

U.S. Large Eggs 6 minutes
Extra Large 6 J 4 minutes

Jumbo 7 minutes

As soon as the time is up, drain off the boiling water
and run cold water into the pan for a minute to set
the white, and to cool the eggs enough to remove the
shells. Tap gently on a hard surface to break the
shells, peel carefully under a stream of water.

If to be served cold, refrigerate. If to be served hot,
warm for a minute in a bowl of hot water.

OEUFS SUR CANAPES
OEUFS EN CROU SHADES

[Poached Eggs on Canapes, Artichoke

Bottoms, Mushroom Caps, or in

Pastry Shells]

A practically limitless series of elegant little hot first courses or luncheon
dishes may be concocted with poached eggs, sauces, minces, and imagination.
Here are some ideas:

Oeufs d la Fondue de Frontage

[Poached Eggs on Canapes with

Cheese Fondue Sauce]

This is a particularly good sauce for eggs; it is creamy, wine-flavored,
cheesy, and has just a whiff of garlic. Sauce mornay (bechamel with cheese),
page 6i may always be substituted.

For 6 servings ( IV 2 cups)

-

POACHED EGGS

A 4-cup saucepan
i Tb minced shallot or
green onions
i Tb butter

A small clove mashed garlic

1/2 cups dry white wine or
Za cup dry white ver-
mouth

Za cup stock or canned beef
bouillon

i'/2 Tb cornstarch
1 Za cups whipping cream
A small mixing bowl

Zz to % cup grated Swiss
cheese

Salt and pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

6 poached eggs or 6-minute
boiled eggs

6 canapes (oval slices of
white bread sauteed in
clarified butter), page 199

3 Tb grated Swiss cheese

1 Tb melted butter

A broiling pan or fireproof
serving platter

XI9

Cook the shallots or onions for 1 to 2 minutes in the
butter without browning. Add garlic and cook 30
seconds more.

Then add the wine and stock and boil rapidly until
liquid has reduced to 3 or 4 tablespoons.

Blend the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the cream,
then stir in half of the remaining cream. Pour it into
the wine and shallots and simmer, stirring, for 2
minutes. Add more cream by spoonfuls to thin the
sauce — it should coat a spoon fairly heavily.

Stir in the cheese and simmer, stirring, until the
cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Add more spoonfuls of cream if necessary. Correct
seasoning, set aside, and reheat when needed.

Prepare the eggs and canapes.

Shortly before serving, preheat broiler to very hot.
Place a cold drained egg on each canape, spoon the
sauce over, sprinkle with cheese and butter. Run for
about a minute under the hot broiler to reheat the
eggs but not to overcook them, and to brown the top
of the sauce lightly. Serve on a platter or on serving
plates.

Other Ideas

Mix a spoonful or two of cooked, chopped spinach, or minced sauteed
ham with a bit of the sauce and spread over each canape to act as a bed for

120

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

the egg. Use pastry shells, broiled mushroom caps, or cooked artichoke bot-
toms instead of canapes.

Oeufs en Croustades a la Bearnaise

[Poached Eggs and Mushrooms,

Bearnaise Sauce]

For 8 servings

[ lb. finely minced fresh
mushrooms
3 Tb butter

Tb minced shallots or
green onions
An enameled skillet

A handful at a time, twist the mushrooms into a ball
in the corner of a towel to extract their juice. Saute
the mushrooms in hot butter with the shallots or
onions for 7 to 8 minutes, until the pieces begin to
separate from each other.

1Z2 Tb flour

Sprinkle on the flour and stir over moderate heat for
3 minutes.

14 cup Madeira or port
Z2 cup whipping cream
Z2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Stir in the wine and boil for a minute. Then stir in
two thirds of the cream. Add the seasonings. Simmer
for 2 to 3 minutes, adding more cream by spoonfuls
if the mushroom mixture becomes too thick. Correct
seasoning and set aside.

8 cooked pastry shells 2 to
2Z2 inches in diameter and
1Z2 inches high, page 200
8 poached eggs or 6-minute
boiled eggs

2 to 2Z2 cups sauce bear-
naise, or sauce choron
(bearnaise with tomato),
pages 84-5

Just before serving, reheat the mushrooms, pastry
shells, and eggs. Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of the mush-
room mixture into each shell, lay an egg over it, and
coat with the sauce. Serve immediately on a platter or
individual serving plates.

Other Ideas

Instead of mushrooms, use creamed shellfish; follow the recipe for fondue
de crustaces on page 202, and top with hollandaise. Broiled mushroom caps,
broiled tomatoes, or cooked artichoke bottoms may replace pastry shells.

POACHED EGGS

12 I

Oeufs a la Bourguignonne

[Eggs Poached in Red Wine]

This is a good dish for a light supper or a winter luncheon, and can be
made more important if it is garnished with sauteed chicken livers or braised
onions, and sauteed or broiled mushrooms. Accompany it with a light red
Burgundy or Beaujolais. Traditionally the eggs are poached in the wine, but
they may be done in water in the usual way, if you wish.

For 8 servings

2 cups of brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
2 cups good, young red wine
An 8-inch saucepan
8 very fresh eggs

/ bay leaf tied with 2 or
3 parsley sprigs
/ tsp thyme
x clove mashed garlic

1 Tb minced shallot or
green onion

Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of pepper

i'/2 Tb softened butter

2 Tb flour

Optional: 1 Tb red currant
jelly

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

8 canapes (ovals of white
bread sauteed in clarified
butter, page 199. They
may be rubbed with a cut

Bring the stock and wine to the simmer and poach the
eggs in it. Remove the eggs to a fireproof dish, add
Via inch of poaching liquid, and set aside. About 5
minutes before serving, set the dish uncovered over
simmering water to reheat the eggs.

After poaching the eggs, add the herbs, garlic, shallot
or onion, and seasonings to the wine and boil it down
rapidly until it has reduced to 2 cups. Remove parsley
and bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour to a smooth paste — beurre
maniS. Off heat, beat it into the wine mixture with a
wire whip. Boil for 30 seconds. Beat in the optional
currant jelly for color and flavor, and correct season-
ing.

(*) If not to be used immediately, set aside uncovered,
top dotted with part of the enrichment butter.

Just before serving, reheat the sauce to the simmer.
Off heat, beat in the butter.

Place a hot egg on each canape and arrange on a plat-
ter or serving plates. Surround with whatever garni-
ture you may have chosen, and spoon the hot sauce
over. Decorate with parsley, and serve.

122

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

clove of garlic if you
wish.)

2 to 3 Tb fresh minced pars-
ley

Oeufs en Gelee

[Poached Eggs in Aspic]

This recipe is in the chapter on cold buffets, page 547.

* SHIRRED EGGS

[Oeufs sur le Plat - Oeufs Miroir]

A shirred egg is one that is broken into a small, flat, buttered dish and
cooked quickly under the broiler. The white is softly set and tender, and the
yolk is liquid, but covered by a shimmering, translucent film. Shirred eggs
should never be attempted in die oven, as it toughens them.

For each serving

Preheat broiler to very hot.

A shallow, fireproof dish
about 4 inches in diameter
Vz Tb butter
1 or 2 eggs

Place the dish over moderate heat and add the butter.
As soon as it has melted, break the egg or eggs into
the dish and cook for about 30 seconds until a thin
layer of white has set in the bottom of the dish. Re-
move from heat, tilt dish, and baste the egg with the
butter. Set aside.

Salt and pepper A minute or so before serving, place the dish an inch

under the hot broiler. Slide it in and out every few
seconds and baste the egg with the butter. In about a
minute the white will be set, and the yolk filmed and
glistening. Remove, season, and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

Using the technique of the preceding recipe, shirred eggs may be dressed
up in the following ways:

SHIRRED EGGS

123

Au Beurre Noir

[With Black Butter Sauce]

Substitute beurre noir, page 98, for plain butter.

Aiix Fines Herbes

[With Herb Butter]

Substitute herb or tarragon butter, page 102, for plain butter.

A la Creme

[With Cream]

Use half the amount of butter. After bottom of egg has been lightly
cooked on top of the stove, pour 2 tablespoons of whipping cream over the
egg, then set it under the broiler. Basting is not necessary.

Gratines

[Browned with Cheese]

This is the same as a la creme, but sprinkle a teaspoon of grated cheese
over the cream, and dot with butter.

Piperade

[With Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers]

Prepare the piperade mixture of cooked onions, green peppers, and toma-
toes described on page 137. Then proceed as for the main recipe, spooning the
piperade around the egg before it goes under the broiler.

Other Suggestions

Just before serving, surround the egg with sauteed mushrooms, kidneys,
chicken livers, sausages, asparagus tips, broiled tomatoes, tomato sauce, or what-
ever else strikes your fancy.

* EGGS BAKED IN RAMEKINS

[Oeufs en Cocotte]

These are individual servings of 1 or 2 eggs baked in porcelain, pyrex,
or earthenware ramekins. The ramekins must be set in a pan of boiling water,

124

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

otherwise the intense heat of the oven toughens the outside layer of egg before
the inside has cooked.

For each serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

V2 tsp butter

1 ramekin 2V2 to 3 inches in
diameter and about I’/i
inches high

2 Tb whipping cream

A pan containing % inch of
simmering water

1 or 2 eggs

Butter the ramekin, saving a dot for later. Add 1
tablespoon of cream and set the ramekin in the sim-
mering water over moderate heat. When the cream is
hot, break into it one or two eggs. Pour the remaining
spoonful of cream over the egg and top with a dot of
butter.

Place in middle level of the hot oven and bake for 7
to xo minutes. The eggs are done when they are just
set but still tremble slightly in the ramekins. They will
set a little more when the ramekins are removed, so
they should not be overcooked.

Salt and pepper Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

(*) The ramekins may remain in the pan of hot
water, out of the oven, for 10 to 15 minutes before
serving. To prevent overcooking, remove eggs from
oven when slightly underdone.

VARIATIONS

Aux Fines Herhes

[With Herbs]

Add half a teaspoon of mixed fresh parsley, chives, and chervil, or tar-
ragon to the cream in the preceding recipe.

Sauces

Instead of cream, use one of the brown sauces on pages 71 to 75, especially
those with herbs, mushrooms, or tomatoes. Or substitute one of the white
sauces, pages 61 to 64 of which sauce soubise with onions, or sauce au cari
(curry sauce) are especially good. The tomato sauces on pages 76 to 78 are
other alternatives.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

125

Other Suggestions

A spoonful or two of any of the following cooked ingredients may be
put in the bottom of the ramekins along with either cream or sauce:

Minced mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, artichoke hearts

Diced lobster, shrimp, crab

Diced truffles, and/or a slice of foie gras

* SCRAMBLED EGGS

[Oeufs Brouilles]

Scrambled eggs in French are creamy soft curds that just hold their shape
from fork to mouth. Their preparation is entirely a matter of stirring the eggs
over gentle heat until they slowly thicken as a mass into a custard. No liquid
or liquid-producing ingredients such as tomatoes should be beaten into them
before cooking, as this is liable to turn them watery.

For 4 or 5 servings

A fork or a wire whip Beat the eggs in the bowl with the seasonings for 20

8 eggs, or 7 eggs and 2 yolks to 30 seconds to blend yolks and whites.

A mixing bowl
'A tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

2 Tb softened butter
A heavy-bottomed, enam-
eled, pyrex, earthenware,
or stainless steel saucepan
or skillet 7 to 8 inches in
diameter. Depth of eggs in
pan should be % to 1 inch.
A rubber spatula, wooden
spoon, or wire whip

Smear the bottom and sides of the pan with the butter.
Pour in the eggs and set over moderately low heat.
Stir slowly and continually, reaching all over the bot-
tom of the pan. Nothing will seem to happen for 2 to
3 minutes as the eggs gradually heat. Suddenly they
will begin to thicken into a custard. Stir rapidly,
moving pan on and off heat, until the eggs have al-
most thickened to the consistency you wish. Then re-
move from heat, as they will continue to thicken
slightly.

1V2 to 2 Tb softened butter
or whipping cream
A warm buttered platter
Parsley sprigs

Just as soon as they are of the right consistency, stir
in the enrichment butter or cream, which will stop
the cooking. Season to taste, turn out onto the platter,
decorate with parsley, and serve.

(*) The eggs may be kept for a while in their sauce-
pan over tepid water, but the sooner they are served
the better.

126

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

VARIATIONS

Aux Fines Herbes

[With Herbs]

Beat a tablespoon of minced fresh herbs such as parsley, chervil, chives,
and tarragon into the eggs at the start. Sprinkle more herbs over the eggs just
before serving.

An Fromage

[With Cheese]

Stir 4 to 6 spoonfuls of grated Swiss cheese into the eggs along with the
enrichment butter at the end.

Aux Truffes

[With Truffles]

Stir i or 2 diced truffles into the eggs before scrambling them. Sprinkle
a bit of chopped truffle over the eggs before serving.

Garnishings

Aside from ham, bacon, or sausages, the platter may be garnished with
such things as : broiled or sauteed mushrooms, kidneys, or chicken livers ; sau-
teed eggplant or zucchini; broiled tomatoes, tomato sauce, or the piper ade
mixture on page 137; diced sauteed potatoes; buttered peas, asparagus tips, or
artichoke hearts.

OMELETTES

A good French omelette is a smooth, gently swelling, golden oval that is
tender and creamy inside. And as it takes less than half a minute to make, it
is ideal for a quick meal. There is a trick to omelettes, and certainly the easiest
way to learn is to ask an expert to give you a lesson. Nevertheless we hope one
of the two techniques we describe will enable you, if you have never made
an omelette before, to produce a good one. The difficulty with all written reci-
pes for omelettes is that before you even start to make one you must read,
remember, and visualize the directions from beginning to end, and practice
the movements. For everything must go so quickly once the eggs are in the

OMELETTES

I2 7

pan that there is no time at all to stop in the middle and pore over your book
in order to see what comes next. Learning to make a good omelette is entirely
a matter of practice. Do one after another for groups of people every chance
you get for several days, and even be willing to dirow some away. You should
soon develop the art, as well as your own personal omelette style.

The two methods set forth here are rapid, professional techniques. The
first is the simplest. The second takes more manual skill.

OMELETTE PANS

An omelette cannot be made in a sticky pan. The eggs must be able to
slide around freely. This is why it is a good idea to have one pan that is re-
served for omelettes only. Various omelette makers like different kinds of
pans: stainless steel, plain or treated aluminum, or plain or enameled iron. We
prefer the French type of plain iron pan % inch thick, like the one illustrated
in the next few pages. Eggs never stick to it when the pan is properly cared
for; and its 2-inch sloping sides and long handle make it a perfect shape for
omelettes done in the professional manner. Such pans are inexpensive and
can be ordered from one of the shops importing French kitchenware, or can
be bought in many restaurant supply houses. Ask for a Number 24 chef’s iron
pan with a bottom diameter of 7 inches. This is the perfect size for the 2- to 3-
egg omelette. The pan must be treated before you use it. First scrub it with
steel wool and scouring powder. Rinse and dry it. Then heat it for a minute
or two, just until its bottom is too hot for your hand. Rub it with cooking oil
and let it stand overnight. Just before making your first omelette, sprinkle a
teaspoon of table salt in the pan, heat it, and rub vigorously for a minute with
paper towels. Then rub the pan clean and it is ready for an omelette. If the
pan is used only for omelettes, it needs no washing afterwards; merely rub it
clean with paper towels. If the pan is washed, you should dry, warm, and oil
it before putting it away. If the pan sticks a bit after a period of non-use, heat
it gently, and rub it with salt. Never allow any type of pan to sit empty over
heat; this does something to its internal structure so that foods stick to it ever
after.

EGGS AND HOW TO BEAT THEM

An omelette can contain up to 8 eggs, but the individual 2- to 3-egg ome-
lette is usually the tenderest, and by far the best size to practice making. At
under 30 seconds an omelette, a number of people can be served in a very short
time. In fact, unless you are extremely expert and have a restaurant-size heat

128

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

source, we do not recommend larger omelettes at all. But if you do want to
attempt them, be sure to have the correct size of pan. The depth of the egg
mass in the pan should not be over / inch, as the eggs must cook quickly. A
pan with a 7-inch bottom is right for the 2- to 3-egg omelette; a 10- to n-inch
pan is required for 8 eggs.

Just before heating the butter in the pan, break the eggs into a mixing
bowl and add salt and pepper. With a large table fork, beat the eggs only
enough to blend the whites and yolks thoroughly. From 30 to 40 vigorous
strokes should be sufficient.

If you are making several 2- to 3-egg omelettes, beat the necessary num-
ber of eggs and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl, and provide your-
self with a ladle or measure. Two U.S. large eggs measure about 6 tablespoons;
3 eggs, about 9 tablespoons. Measure out the required quantity for each ome-
lette as you are ready to make it, giving the eggs 4 or 5 vigorous beats before
dipping diem out with your measure.

TRANSFERRING THE OMELETTE FROM PAN TO PLATE

In each of the methods described, the finished omelette ends up in the far
lip of the pan. This is the way to transfer it from the pan to the plate.

Hold the plate in your left hand. Turn the omelette pan so its handle is to
your right. Grasp the handle with your right hand, thumb on top. Rest the lip of
the pan slightly off the center of the plate so the omelette will land in the middle of
the plate. Then tilt plate and pan against each other at a 45-degree angle.

OMELETTES

129

Quickly turn the pan upside down over the plate and the omelette will drop into
position.

If it has not formed neatly, push it into shape with the back of a fork. Rub the
top of the omelette with softened butter and serve as soon as possible, for
omelettes toughen if they are kept warm.

1 • V OMELETTE BROUILLEE

[Scrambled Omelette]

This is best in a French omelette pan, but a skillet can be used.

For 1 omelette, l to 2 servings. Time: Less than 30 seconds of
cooking

2 or 3 eggs
Big pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
A mixing bowl
A table fork

Beat the eggs and seasonings in the mixing bowl for
20 to 30 seconds until the whites and yolks are just
blended.

130

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

i Tb butter

An omelette pan 7 inches in
diameter at the bottom
A table fork

Place the butter in the pan and set over very high heat. If you have an electric heat
element, it should be red hot. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to
film the sides. When you see that the foam has almost subsided in the pan and the
butter is on the point of coloring, it is an indication that it is hot enough to pour
in the eggs.

Hold the panhandle with your left hand, thumb on top, and immediately start slid-
ing the pan back and forth rapidly over the heat. At the same time, fork in right
hand, its flat side against the bottom of the pan, stir the eggs quickly to spread them

OMELETTES

131

continuously all over the bottom of the pan as they thicken. In 3 or 4 seconds they
will become a light, broken custard. ( A filling would go in at this point.)

Then lift the handle of the pan to tilt it at a 45-degree angle over the heat, and rap-
idly gather the eggs at the far lip of the pan with the back of your fork. Still hold-
ing the pan tilted over the heat, run your fork around the lip of the pan under the
far edge of the omelette to be sure it has not adhered to the pan.

132

CH4PTER THREE: EGGS

Give 4 or 5 short, sharp blows on the handle of the pan with your right fist to loosen
the omelette and make the far edge curl over onto itself.

Hold the pan tilted over heat for i or 2 seconds to brown the bottom of the omelette
very lightly, but not too long or the eggs will overcook. The center of the omelette
should remain soft and creamy.

A warm plate
Softened butter

Turn the omelette onto the plate as illustrated on page
128, rub the top with a bit of butter, and serve as soon
as possible.

11 • V OMELETTE ROULEE

[Rolled Omelette]

This omelette should be made in a French omelette pan and a high gas
flame is usually more successful than an electric heat element. The rolled
omelette is the most fun of any method, but requires more practice. Here the
pan is jerked over high heat at an angle so that the egg mass is continually
hurled against the far lip of the pan until the eggs thicken. Finally, as the pan is
tilted further while it is being jerked, the eggs roll over at the far lip of the pan,

OMELETTES

133

forming an omelette shape. A simple-minded but perfect way to master the
movement is to practice outdoors with half a cupful of dried beans. As soon as
you are able to make them flip over themselves in a group, you have the right
feeling; but the actual omelette-making gesture is sharper and rougher.

For 1 omelette, l to 2 servings. Time: Less than 30 seconds of
cooking

2 or 3 eggs
Big pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
A mixing bowl
A table fork

Beat the eggs and seasonings in the mixing bowl for
20 to 30 seconds until the whites and yolks are just
blended.

1 Tb butter

An omelette pan 7 inches in
diameter at the bottom
A table fork

Place the butter in the pan and set over very high
heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions
to film the sides. When you see that the foam has al-
most subsided in the pan and the butter is on the
point of coloring (indicating it is hot enough), pour
in the eggs. It is of utmost importance in this method
that the butter be of the correct temperature.

i34

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

Grasp the handle of the pan with both hands, thumbs on top, and immediately begin
jerking the pan vigorously and roughly toward you at an even, 20-degree angle over
the heat, one jerk per second.

It is the sharp pull of the pan toward you which throws the eggs against the far lip
of the pan, then back over its bottom surface. You must have the courage to be rough
or the eggs will not loosen themselves from the bottom of the pan. After several
jerks, the eggs will begin to thicken. (A filling would go in at this point.)

Then increase the angle of the pan slightly, which will force the egg mass to roll over
on itself with each jerk at the far lip of the pan.

OMELETTES

135

As soon as the omelette has shaped up, hold it in the angle of the pan to brown the
bottom a pale golden color, but only a second or two, for the eggs must not overcook.
I he center of the omelette should remain soft and creamy. If the omelette has not
formed neatly, push it with the back of your fork.

Turn the omelette onto the plate as illustrated on page 128, rub the top with a bit of
butter, and serve as soon as possible.

GARNISHINGS AND FILLINGS FOR OMELETTES
Aux Fines Herbes
[With Herbs]

Beat into the eggs at the beginning 1 tablespoon of minced fresh herbs
such as chervil, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Sprinkle more of the same over
the finished omelette.

Au Fro mage

(With Cheese]

After the eggs have set for 2 or 3 seconds in the pan at the point indicated
in either of the two omelette recipes, sprinkle in 1 or 2 tablespoons of grated

136

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

Swiss or Parmesan cheese and finish the omelette. If you wish, sprinkle more
cheese over the completed omelette, dot with butter, and run quickly under a
very hot broiler to melt and brown the cheese.

Aux Epinards
[With Spinach]

Beat 2 or 3 tablespoons of cooked puree of spinach, page 469, into the eggs
at die beginning, then proceed with the omelette as usual.

Other Suggestions

Sprinkle % cup of any of the following cooked ingredients over the eggs
after they have set for 2 or 3 seconds in the pan at the point indicated in either
of the two omelette recipes, then proceed with the omelette as usual :

Diced sauteed potatoes and minced herbs
Diced truffles

Diced sauteed ham, chicken livers, or mushrooms
Diced cooked asparagus tips or artichoke hearts
Diced cooked shrimp, crab, or lobster
Cubes of stale white bread sauteed in butter

Omelettes Gratinees a la. T ornate

[Tomato-filled Omelettes Gratinecd With Cream and Cheese]

Here is a delicious supper or luncheon dish that can be prepared ahead
and gratineed just before serving.

Cook the omelettes according to one of the master
recipes, but leave them slightly underdone. Slip each
as it is made onto a buttered plate, then slide it onto
the buttered platter, arranging the omelettes side by
side.

Cut a slit along the length of each omelette to within
/ inch of the 2 ends. Fill the slits with the tomato
puree.

For 4 to 6 people

4 two-egg omelettes or 2
three-egg omelettes
A buttered plate
A shallow, buttered, fire-
proof serving platter

1 cup fresh tomato puree,
page 78

OMELETTES

137

(*) If not to be used immediately, rub tops of ome-
lettes with softened butter and cover with waxed
paper.

Preheat broiler to very hot.

Vz to 2 /i cup whipping cream
or creme jraiche, page
16

Vi cup grated Swiss cheese
Vz Tb melted butter

Just before serving, pour the cream over the omelettes,
and sprinkle with cheese and melted butter. Set platter
3 inches from hot broiler for 1 or 2 minutes to reheat
the omelettes and to brown the cheese lightly, but do
not let the omelettes overcook. Serve immediately.

Piperade

[Open-faced Omelette Garnished with Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, and
Ham]

This is a Basque specialty, and quick to make if the piperade mixture
has been prepared in advance. As the omelette is not folded, and is served in
its cooking vessel, it is not a disaster if it sticks a little on the bottom. You may
therefore cook the eggs in a low, glazed pottery dish, or a fancy skillet.

For 4 to 6 servings

8 to 12 strips of ham !4 inch
thick and about 2 by 3
inches across
2 Tb olive oil or butter
An 8- to 9-inch enameled
skillet

Vz cup thinly sliced yellow
onions

Vz cup thinly sliced green or
red bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste

Vz clove mashed garlic
Speck of cayenne pepper
2 or 3 firm, ripe, red toma-

Brown the ham slices lightly on both sides in hot oil
or butter. Set them aside, and reheat just before using
them at the end of the recipe.

In the same oil or butter in which you browned the
ham, cook the onions and peppers slowly, covering
the skillet, until they are tender but not browned.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the garlic and pepper. Lay the tomatoes over
the onions and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook
slowly for 5 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and boil for

138

CHAPTER THREE: EGGS

toes peeled, seeded, juiced,
and sliced, page 505
Salt and pepper

a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the
juice from the tomatoes has almost entirely evap-
orated. Season to taste, and reheat just before using.
(*) Recipe may be prepared ahead to this point.

1V2 Tb olive oil or butter
An 11- to 12-inch serving
skillet or shallow, fire-
proof serving dish
8 to 10 eggs beaten lightly
with Va tsp salt and a
pinch of pepper
A large table fork
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley or
mixed fresh green herbs

Heat the oil or butter in the skillet or dish. When
very hot, pour in the eggs. Stir rapidly with a fork
until the eggs have just set into a creamy mass. Re-
move from heat and spread over them the hot
piperade, mixing a bit of it delicately into the eggs.
Lay the warm ham strips over the piperade. Sprinkle
with the herbs and serve immediately.

CHAPTER FOUR

ENTREES AND
LUNCHEON DISHES

PIE DOUGH-PASTRY CRUSTS

Pate Brisee

pAte brisee

[Short Paste, Pastry Dough, Pie Crust]

A good French pastry crust is tender, crunchy, and buttery. The best one,
pate brisee fine, is made in the proportions, according to weight, of 5 parts flour
to 4 parts butter. American all-purpose, hard-wheat flour produces a slightly
brittle crust if only butter is used. However, a mixture of 3 parts butter and 1
part vegetable shortening will give a tender crust with a good buttery flavor.
Unlike standard American methods, the French system calls for a fraisage at
the end of the operation, which is a short pushing out of the dough with the
heel of the hand to insure an even blending of fat and flour.

Proportions per cup of flour

(Directions for measuring flour, and table of equivalents are on page 17.)
1 cup all-purpose flour (approximately 3% ounces)

4 Tb butter and i ]4 Tb vegetable shortening {2/ ounces)

2*4 to 3 Tb cold water
14 tsp salt
Pinch of sugar

140

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

Amounts needed

These amounts allow enough extra pastry to make for easy rolling. Left-
overs may be used for hors d’oeuvres, or stored and combined with later scraps
for another crust.

For an 8- to 9-inch shell:

Use 1/2 cups flour, plus other ingredients in the preceding proportions.

For a 10- to n-inch shell:

Use 2 cups flour and other ingredients in the preceding proportions.

Directions for making short paste

The mixing of pastry should be accomplished rapidly, particularly if your
kitchen is warm, so that the butter will soften as little as possible. Use very
quick, light finger movements, and do not linger on the dough at all with the
warm palms of your hands. A pastry blender may be used if you wish, but a
necessary part of learning how to cook is to get the feel of the dough in your
fingers. 11 faut mettre la main a la pate!

2 cups sifted all-purpose
flour (illustrated measur-
ing directions are on page

J 7)

V2 tsp salt

2 pinches of sugar

14 lb. chilled butter cut into
Vi-inch bits

3 Tb chilled vegetable short-
ening

Place flour, salt, sugar, butter, and vegetable shorten-
ing in a big mixing bowl. Rub the flour and fat to-
gether rapidly between the tips of your fingers until
the fat is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes.
Do not overdo this step as the fat will be blended
more thoroughly later.

5 Tb cold water Add the water and blend quickly with one hand,

fingers held together and slightly cupped, as you
rapidly gather the dough into a mass. Sprinkle up
to x tablespoon more water by droplets over any un-
massed remains and add them to the main body of
the dough. Then press the dough firmly into a roughly
shaped ball. It should just hold together and be pli-
able, but not be damp and sticky.

PASTRY DOUGH

I 4 1

Place the dough on a lightly floured pastry board. With the heel of one hand, not
the palm which is too warm, rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonful bits down on
the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches. This consti-
tutes the final blending of fat and flour, or fraisage.

With a scraper or spatula, gather the dough again into a mass; knead it briefly into a
fairly smooth round ball. Sprinkle it lightly with flour and wrap it in waxed paper.
Either place it in the freezing compartment of the refrigerator for about 1 hour until
the dough is firm but not congealed, or leave it for 2 hours or overnight in the re-
frigerator.

Uncooked pastry dough will keep for 3 to 4 days under refrigeration, or may be
frozen for several weeks. In either case, wrap it airtight in waxed paper and a plastic
bag.

Rolling out the dough

Because of its high butter content, roll out the dough as quickly as possi-
ble, so that it will not soften and become difficult to handle.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board or marble. If the dough is hard,
beat it with the rolling pin to soften it. Then knead it briefly into a fairly flat
circle. It should be just malleable enough so that it can be rolled out without
cracking.

Give it another roll. Continue lifting, turning, and rolling, and, as necessary,
sprinkle board and top of dough lightly widi flour to prevent sticking. Roll it
into a circle % inch thick and about 2 inches larger all around than your pie
pan or flan ring. If your circle is uneven, cut off a too-large portion, moisten the

PASTRY DOUGH

143

edge of the too-small portion with water, press the two pieces of pastry to-
gether, and smooth them with your rolling pin.

The dough should be used as soon as it has been rolled out, so that it will

not soften.

Making a pastry shell

A French tart, quiche, or pie is straight sided and open faced, and stands
supported only by its pastry shell. In France the shell is molded in a bottomless
metal flan ring that has been set on a baking sheet. When the tart is done, the
ring is removed and the tart is slid from the baking sheet to a rack or the serv-
ing dish. You can achieve the same effect by molding your pastry in a false-
bottomed, straight-sided, cake pan 1 to i l / 2 inches deep. When the shell is ready
for unmolding, the pan is set over a jar and the false bottom frees the shell
from the sides of the pan. It is then, with the aid of a long-bladed spatula, slid
off its false bottom and onto a rack or the serving dish. You can also make
pastry shells using two matching pie pans; once in a while the weight of the
filling will force the outward-slanting sides of the shell to collapse, so we are
not recommending it.

Quiches

144

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

Partially baked pastry shells are used for quiches and for tarts whose
filling cooks in die shell. Fully baked shells are for tarts filled with cooked
ingredients that need only a brief reheating, or for fresh fruit tarts that are
served cold.

Butter the inside of the mold. If you are using a flan ring, butter the
baking sheet also.

Either reverse the dough onto the rolling pin, and unroll it over the mold;
or fold the dough in half, in half again, then lay it in the mold and unfold it.

Press the dough lightly into the bottom of the cake pan, or onto the
baking sheet if you are using a flan ring. Then lift the edges of the dough and
work it gently down the inside edges of mold with your fingers, taking in
about % inch of dough all around the circumference. This will make the sides
of the pastry shell a little thicker and sturdier. Trim off excess dough by rolling
the pin over the top of the mold.

PASTRY SHELLS

145

Then with your thumbs, push the dough / inch above the edge of the
mold, to make an even, rounded rim of dough all around the inside circum-
ference of the mold.

Press a decorative edge around the rim of the pastry with the dull edge
of a knife.

Prick bottom of pastry with a fork at 14-inch intervals.

To keep the sides of the pastry shell from collapsing and the bottom from
puffing up, either butter the bottom of another mold, weight it with a handful
of dry beans, and place it inside the pastry; or line the pastry with buttered,
lightweight foil, or buttered brown paper. Press it well against the sides of the
pastry, and fill it with dried beans. The weight of the beans will hold the pastry
against the mold during the baking.

Refrigerate if not baked immediately.

146

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

For a partially cooked shell: Bake at the middle level of a preheated
400-degree oven for 8 to 9 minutes until pastry is set. Remove mold or foil and
beans. Prick bottom of pastry with a fork to keep it from rising. Return to
over for 2 or 3 minutes more. When the shell is starting to color and just
beginning to shrink from sides of mold, remove it from the oven. If it seems
to you that the sides of the shell are fragile, or are liable to crack or leak widi
the weight of the filling to come, do not unmold until your tart or quiche is
filled and finally baked.

For a fully cooked shell: Bake 7 to 10 minutes more, or until the shell is
very lightly browned.

Unmolding: When the shell is done, unmold it and slip it onto a rack.
Circulation of air around it while it cools will prevent it from getting soggy.

OPEN-FACED TARTS

Quiches

Quiche Lorraine, although it seems to be the most well known, is only
one of a series of generally simple-to-make and appetizing entrees. A quiche
is a mixture of cream and bacon, such as the quiche Lorraine, or cheese and
milk, or tomatoes and onions, or crab, or anything else which is combined with
eggs, poured into a pastry shell, and baked in the oven until it puffs and
browns. It is practically foolproof, and you can invent your own combinations.
Serve it with a salad, hot French bread, and a cold white wine; follow it with
fruit, and you have a perfect lunch or supper menu. Or let it be the first course
of your dinner. You can also make tiny quiches for hot hors d’oeuvres.

The following recipes are all designed for pastry shells 8 inches in diame-
ter. The quiche ingredients should fill the shell by no more than three fourths,
to allow room for puffing. An 8-inch shell will hold about 2/2 cups of filling
and serves 4 to 6 people. A 10-inch shell, serving 6 to 8, will hold one and a half
times this amount of filling or slightly more.

The partially cooked shell may be baked hours ahead of time, and the
filling prepared and refrigerated in its mixing bowl. Half an hour before
serving, the filling is poured into the shell and the quiche is set in a 375-degree
oven. In 25 to 30 minutes it will have puffed and the top browned. A knife
plunged into the center should come out clean, and the quiche is ready to serve.
It will stay puffed for about 10 minutes in the turned-off hot oven with the door

QUICHES

147

ajar. As it cools, it sinks clown. It may be reheated, but will not puff again. A
cold quiche makes a good snack and is easy to take along on a picnic.

* QUICHE LORRAINE

[Cream and Bacon Quiche]

The classic quiche Lorraine contains heavy cream, eggs, and bacon, no
cheese. The bacon is usually blanched in simmering water to remove its smoky,
salty taste, but this step is optional. Diced, cooked ham, sauteed briefly in
butter, may replace the bacon.

For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3 to 4 ounces lean bacon (6
to 8 slices, medium thick-
ness)

1 quart water

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell placed on a
baking sheet, page 146

Cut bacon into pieces about an inch long and / inch
wide. Simmer for 5 minutes in the water. Rinse in cold
water. Dry on paper towels. Brown lightly in a skil-
let. Press bacon pieces into bottom of pastry shell.

3 eggs or 2 eggs and 2 yolks
1Z2 to 2 cups whipping
cream or half cream and
half milk
Z2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 to 2 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Beat the eggs, cream or cream and milk, and season-
ings in a mixing bowl until blended. Check season-
ings. Pour into pastry shell and distribute the butter
pieces on top.

Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for 25
to 30 minutes, or until quiche has puffed and
browned. Slide quiche onto a hot platter and serve.

Quiche au Fromage de Gruyere

[Swiss Cheese Quiche]

Follow the preceding recipe, but stir 2 to 4 ounces ( 14 to 1 cup) grated
Swiss cheese into the egg and cream mixture. The bacon is usually omitted,
and you may use all milk instead of cream.

148

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

* QUICHE AU ROQUEFORT

[Roquefort Cheese Quiche]

For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3 ounces (6 Tb) Roquefort
or blue cheese
6 ounces (2 small packages)
cream cheese or cottage
cheese

2 Tb softened butter

3 Tb whipping cream
2 eggs

Salt and white pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
V2 Tb minced fresh chives
or V2 tsp minced green
onion tops

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell placed on a
baking sheet, page 146

Blend the cheese, butter, and cream with a fork, then
beat in the eggs. Force the mixture through a sieve,
to get rid of the lumps. Season to taste and stir in the
chives or green onion tops. Pour into the pastry shell
and set in upper third of preheated oven. Bake for
25 to 30 minutes, or until quiche has puffed and top
has browned.

Quiche au Camembert
[Camembert Cheese Quiche ]

Instead of Roquefort cheese, use the same amount of Camembert, Brie,
or Liederkranz, but remove the outside crust of the cheese. Or use a mixture of
all or some of these, including Roquefort cheese, if you have leftovers.

QUICHE A LA TOMATE, NICOISE

[Fresh Tomato Quiche with Anchovies and Olives]
For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

QUICHES

An 8- to 9-inch enameled or
stainless steel skillet
Zt cup minced onions

2 Tb olive oil

1% to 2 lbs. firm, ripe, red
tomatoes

1 large clove mashed garlic
Zi tsp oregano, basil, or
thyme
Z2 tsp salt
Za tsp pepper

1 egg and 3 egg yolks
8 chopped anchovy filets

3 Tb olive oil (including oil
from anchovy can)

3 Tb tomato paste
3 Tb chopped parsley
x tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell on a baking
sheet, page 146
12 pitted black olives (the
dry Mediterranean type)
Z4 cup grated Parmesan or
Swiss cheese
x Tb olive oil

14c,

Cook the onions slowly in the olive oil for 5 minutes
or so, until tender but not browned.

Peel, seed, and juice the tomatoes, page 505, and chop
the pulp roughly. Stir the tomatoes into the skillet
and add the garlic, herbs, and seasonings. Cover skil-
let and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Uncover,
raise heat and cook for 5 minutes or so more, shaking
pan occasionally, to evaporate the juice almost en-
tirely. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the egg, egg yolks, anchovies, oil, tomato paste,
parsley and seasonings in a mixing bowl until blended.
Gradually fold in the cooked tomatoes. Check season-
ing.

Spread tomato mixture in pastry shell. Place olives
over the top in a decorative design. Spread on the
cheese and dribble the oil over it. Bake in upper third
of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until quiche
has puffed and browned on top.

QUICHE AUX FRUITS DE MER

[Shrimp, Crab, or Lobster Quiche \

For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

3 Tb butter

Cook the shallots or onions in the butter for 1 to 2
minutes over moderate heat until tender, but not
browned. Add shellfish meat and stir gently for 2

150

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

14 lb. (i cup) cooked fresh
or canned crab, or diced
cooked fresh or canned
shrimp or lobster
14 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
2 Tb Madeira or dry white
vermouth

minutes. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Add wine,
raise heat, and boil for a moment. Allow to cool
slightly.

3 c gg s

i cup whipping cream
i Tb tomato paste
14 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with the cream, to-
mato paste, and seasonings. Gradually blend in the
shellfish and taste for seasoning.

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell on a baking
sheet, page 146
14 cup grated Swiss cheese

Pour mixture into pastry shell and sprinkle the cheese
over it. Bake in upper third of preheated oven for 25
to 30 minutes, until quiche has puffed and browned.

QUICHE AUX OIGNONS

[Onion Quiche]

For 4 to 6 servings

2 lbs. minced onions (about
7 cups)

3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

Cook the onions in a heavy skillet with the oil and
butter over very low heat, stirring occasionally until
they are extremely tender and a golden yellow. This
will take about an hour.

1 14 Tb flour Sprinkle with the flour, mix well, and cook slowly for

2 or 3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2 eggs or 3 yolks
% cup whipping cream
1 tsp salt
14 tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Beat the eggs or egg yolks in a mixing bowl with
the cream and seasonings until blended. Gradually
mix in the onions and half of the cheese. Check
seasoning. Pour into tart shell. Spread on the rest of
the cheese and distribute the butter over it. Bake in

QUICHES

151

2 ounces ( Z 2 cup) grated upper third of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes,
Swiss cheese until quiche has puffed and browned.

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell on a baking
sheet, page 146

1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

PISSALADIERE NI^OISE

[Onion Tart with Anchovies and Black Olives]

This is not a quiche, properly speaking, because it contains no eggs. In
Nice it is made either in a pastry shell or on a flat round of bread dough like
the Italian pizza.

For 4 to 6 servings

2 lbs. minced onions
4 Tb olive oil

1 medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, V 4 tsp
thyme, and Z 2 bay leaf
tied in washed cheesecloth

2 cloves unpeeled garlic
V2 tsp salt

1 pinch of powdered cloves
Vs tsp pepper

Cook the onions very slowly in the olive oil with the
herb bouquet, garlic, and salt for about 1 hour, or
until very tender. Discard herb bouquet and garlic.
Stir in cloves and pepper, and taste carefully for
seasoning.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell on a baking
sheet, page 146
8 canned anchovy filets
16 pitted black olives (the
dry Mediterranean type)
1 Tb olive oil

Spread the onions in the pastry shell. Arrange anchovy
filets over it in a fan-shaped design. Place the olives at
decorative intervals. Drizzle on the oil. Bake in upper
third of the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or
until bubbling hot.

* FLAMICHE - QUICHE AUX POIREAUX

[Leek Quiche ]

For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

152

CHAPTER POUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

i lb. sliced white of leek
(about 3Z2 cups)

Z2 cup water
1 tsp salt
3 Tb butter

Boil the leeks over moderately high heat in a heavy-
bottomed, covered saucepan with the water, salt, and
butter until liquid has almost evaporated. Lower heat
and stew gently for 20 to 30 minutes until leeks are
very tender.

3 e ggs

1 Z2 cups whipping cream
Pinch of nutmeg
Za tsp pepper

An 8-inch partially cooked
pastry shell on a baking
sheet, page 146
'/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Beat the eggs, cream, and seasonings in a mixing bowl
to blend. Gradually stir in the leeks. Check seasoning.
Pour into pastry shell. Spread on the cheese and dis-
tribute the butter over it. Bake in upper third of pre-
heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and
browned.

Quiche aux Endives
[Endive Quiche]

Follow the preceding recipe, using sliced endive rather than leeks; add a
teaspoon of lemon juice to their cooking water.

Quiche aux Champignons
[Mushroom Quiche ]

Use die same proportions of cream, eggs, grated cheese, and dots of butter
as for the preceding leek quiche and an 8-inch partially cooked pastry shell.
Prepare the mushrooms as follows:

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

3 Tb butter

1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
Optional: 2 Tb Madeira or
port

Cook the shallots or onions in a heavy-bottomed
saucepan with the butter for a moment. Stir in the
mushrooms, salt, lemon juice and optional wine.
Cover pan and cook over moderately low heat for 8
minutes. Uncover. Raise heat and boil for several min-
utes until liquid is completely evaporated and mush-
rooms are beginning to saute in their butter.

QUICHES

153

Gradually stir the mushrooms into the eggs and
cream. Pour into pastry shell, sprinkle with cheese,
dot with butter, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a
preheated 375-degree oven.

Quiche aux Epinards
[Spinach Quiche]

Use the same proportions of cream, eggs, cheese, and butter as for the
leek quiche, page 151, and an 8-inch partially cooked pastry shell. Prepare the
spinach as follows:

An enameled saucepan
2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onion
2 Tb butter

i!4 cups chopped blanched
spinach, page 468, or
frozen spinach, page 475
Z2 tsp salt
Zb tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Cook the shallots or onions for a moment in the but-
ter. Add the spinach and stir over moderate heat for
several minutes to evaporate all its water. Stir in salt,
pepper, and nutmeg and taste carefully for seasoning.
Gradually stir the spinach into the eggs and cream.
Pour into pastry shell, sprinkle with cheese, dot with
butter, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a preheated
375-deg ree oven.

GRATINEED DISHES

Gratins

Any of the quiche mixtures in the preceding section may be baked in a
shallow fireproof dish or pyrex pie plate rather than a pastry shell. They then
officially become gratins. Most of the following, although they look more grand
in a shell, are so substantial that they are perhaps better in a dish.

rApee morvandelle

[Gratin of Shredded Potatoes with Ham and Eggs and Onions]
For 4 people

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

154

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

Zz cup finely minced onions Cook the onions slowly in the oil and butter for 5

2 Tb olive oil minutes or so, until tender but not browned.

2 Tb butter

Z2 cup (3 ounces) finely
diced cooked ham

Raise heat slightly, stir in ham, and cook a moment
more.

4 e gg s

Z2 clove crushed garlic
2 Tb minced parsley and/or
chives and chervil
Vi cup (3 ounces) grated
Swiss cheese

4 Tb whipping cream, light
cream, or milk
Pinch of pepper
Z4 tsp salt

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with the garlic, herbs,
cheese, cream or milk, and seasonings. Then blend in
the ham and onions.

3 medium-sized potatoes Peel the potatoes and grate them, using large holes
(about 10 ounces) of grater. A handful at a time, squeeze out their wa-

ter. Stir potatoes into egg mixture. Check seasoning.
(*) May be prepared ahead to this point.

2 Tb butter

An 11- to 12-inch baking
dish or skillet about 2
inches deep or individual
baking dishes about 6
inches in diameter
Zz Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Heat the butter in the dish. When foaming, pour in
the potato and egg mixture. Dot with butter. Set in
upper third of preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40
minutes, or until top is nicely browned. Serve directly
from the dish or skillet.

* GRAT1N DE POMMES DE TERRE AUX ANCHOIS

\Gratin of Potatoes, Onions, and Anchovies]

For 4 people

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Vi cup minced onions
2 Tb butter

Cook the onions slowly in butter for 5 minutes or so,
until tender but not browned.

GRATINEED DISHES

!4 lb. diced raw potatoes
(about 2 cups)

A 3- to 4-cup baking dish,
1 14 to 2 inches deep, such
as an 8-inch pyrex pie
plate

8 to io anchovy filets packed
in olive oil

3 eggs beaten with i!4 cups
whipping cream, 14 tsp
salt, and 14 tsp pepper;
OR 2 cups well-seasoned
bechamel sauce, page 57

14 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 Tb oil from anchovy can
or butter

155

Drop potatoes in boiling salted water and cook for 6
to 8 minutes, or until barely done. Drain thoroughly.

Butter the baking dish. Spread half the potatoes in
the bottom, then half the cooked onions. Over them
lay the anchovy filets, then the rest of the onions, and
finally the remaining potatoes.

Pour the eggs and cream, or the bechamel sauce, over
the potatoes and shake dish to send liquid to bottom.

Spread on the cheese. Dribble on the oil, or dot with
the butter.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in upper third of oven until
top is nicely browned.

VARIATIONS

Gratin de Pommes de Terre et Saucisson

[Gratin of Potatoes, Onions, and Sausages]

Follow the preceding master recipe, but cut the potatoes in slices rather
than dice, and substitute sliced uncooked Polish sausage for the anchovies,
interspersing the sausage between the potato slices.

Gratin de Poireaux

[ Gratin of Leeks with Ham]

Use the same amount of eggs and cream or of bechamel sauce, as in the
preceding potato and anchovy gratin, or substitute a sauce mornay (bechamel
with cheese), page 61, and prepare the leeks as follows:

12 leeks, 3 /4 inch thick

Use the white of the leeks only. Cut each into cross-
wise sections about 2 inches long.

156

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

A heavy-bottomed saucepan
14 tsp salt
2 Tb butter
1 cup water

Boil the leeks in a covered saucepan over moderately
high heat with salt, butter, and water until liquid has
almost completely evaporated. Lower heat and stew
gently for 20 to 30 minutes until the leeks are very
tender.

6 to 8 thin slices of cooked Wrap each piece of leek in a piece of ham, arrange
^ am in buttered dish, cover with eggs and cream, or sauce,

and bake as in the preceding master recipe.

Gratin d’Endives
[Gratin of Endive with Ham]

Use whole endives braised in butter, page 493, wrap in ham, cover with
eggs and cream, or bechamel sauce, and bake as in the preceding master recipe.

* GRATIN AUX FRUITS DE MER
[Gratin of Creamed Salmon or Other Fish]

A quick and delicious main-course dish can be made by combining a
good cream sauce with canned salmon, tuna, or clams, or leftover cooked fish
or shellfish. If you are using a baking dish, all may be prepared ahead, then set
in the oven shortly before serving, but a pastry shell should not be filled until
just before it goes into the oven. The following recipe is for salmon, but other
fish may be substituted :

For 4 to 6 people

14 cup finely minced onions
3 Tb butter

A heavy-bottomed, 2-quart
saucepan

3 Tb flour

1 cup boiling milk
14 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cook the onions in butter in the saucepan over low
heat for 5 minutes or so, until onions are tender but
not browned.

Stir in the flour, and cook slowly for 2 minutes with-
out coloring.

Off heat, beat in the boiling milk, then the wine, sal-
mon juice, and the seasonings. Now bring this sauce
to boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Boil sev-

GRATINEED DISHES

157

Juice from salmon can, if
any

!4 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Zt tsp oregano
4 to 6 Tb whipping cream

eral minutes to evaporate the alcohol in the wine, and
allow the sauce to thicken considerably. Then thin it
out to a medium consistency with tablespoons of
cream. Taste carefully for seasoning.

1Z2 cups cooked or canned
salmon

Optional: sauteed mush-

rooms; sliced hard-boiled
eggs

An 8-inch, shallow, baking
dish 1 14 to 2 inches deep,
or a cooked pastry shell,
page 146

!4 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 Tb butter

Fold the salmon and optional ingredients into the
sauce, and check seasoning again. Spread in baking
dish or pastry shell. Sprinkle on the cheese, and dis-
tribute the butter in pea-sized dots. Bake in upper
third of preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until
top is nicely browned.

VARIATIONS

Gratin de Volatile

Gratin de Cervelles

Gratin de Ris de Veau

[ Gratin of Chicken, Turkey, Brains, or Sweetbreads with Mushrooms]

Exactly the same system as that for the preceding master recipe for fish
gratin may be followed, using diced cooked chicken, turkey, brains, or sweet-
breads. Combine with sauteed mushrooms, and warm the mixture briefly in
butter with shallots or green onions. If you are short on meat, or wish to make
the dish more filling, include cooked rice or noodles. Concentrated chicken
stock or mushroom juice, or leftover chicken sauce may substitute for part of
the milk in the bechamel sauce. If your sauce is carefully flavored, this is an
attractive way to use leftovers.

SOUFFLES

A souffle, quickly described, is a sauce containing a flavoring or puree
into which stiffly beaten egg whites are incorporated. It is turned into a mold
and baked in the oven until it puffs up and the top browns.

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

158

EGG WHITES

The glory and lightness of a French souffle are largely a matter of how
voluminously stiff the egg whites have been beaten and how lightly they have
been folded into the body of the souffle. It is the air, beaten into the whites
in the form of little bubbles, which expands as the souffle is cooked and pushes
it up into its magnificent puff. Correctly beaten egg whites mount to 7 or 8
times their original volume, are perfectly smooth and free from granules, and
are firm enough to stand in upright peaks when lifted in the wires of the beater
as illustrated further on. Another test of their perfect stiffness is that they will
support the weight of a whole egg if one is placed on top of them.

Warning

Egg whites will not mount stiffly if they contain any particles of egg yolk,
or if either the bowl they are beaten in or the beater itself is moist or even
slightly greasy. Have your egg whites at room temperature if possible; they
will mount more rapidly and voluminously than chilled egg whites.

Beating bowls and cream of tartar

If beaten egg whites are to remain stable, that is, if they are not to lose
their velvety, voluminous, just-beaten texture, diey must contain a little acid;
without it, they gradually turn granular and tend to leak. French chefs beat
egg whites in unlined copper because the slight acidity of the copper acts as a
stabilizer. Cream of tartar, which is an acid, also acts as a stabilizer. Therefore,
if you do not have an unlined copper bowl, use stainless steel, glass, or glazed
pottery — aluminum may give the egg whites a grayish cast. After you have
beaten the egg whites for about 30 seconds and they are foamy, beat in a small
pinch of cream of tartar per egg white: 4 egg whites take a scant % level tea-
spoon. (Copper bowls may be ordered from one of the French import houses;
best size is 10 inches at top diameter.)

The beater

Although it requires muscular exertion, hand-beating is much the best
method for anyone who is serious about cooking. Beaten with a large balloon
whip, egg whites mount faster and more effectively than with a household
electric beater — 2 to 3 minutes by hand in contrast to about 8 with a machine.
This is just because the balloon whip is bigger— 5 to 6 inches across— and can
keep almost the whole mass of egg whites in continual, air-circulating motion.
Balloon whips may be bought in hotel and restaurant supply houses, or at one

SOUFFLES

*59

of die French import stores. Directions for both hand- and machine-beating
follow.

H ow to beat egg whites by hand - for 2 to 8 egg whites

Provide yourself with a clean, dry, balloon whip or a large wedge-shaped
wire whisk, and a clean, dry, round-bottomed bowl 9 to 10 inches in diameter
and 5 to 6 inches deep, preferably of the right plastic or of unlined copper. To
keep the bowl from jumping about, set it in a heavy pot or casserole.

Place the egg whites in the bowl and add a pinch of salt. The salt gives a
slight flavor to the egg whites, and is added even for sweet souffles.

Start beating at a speed of 2 strokes per second with a vertical, circular
motion for 20 to 30 seconds until the egg whites have begun to foam. Use your
lower-arm and wrist muscles for beating; shoulder muscles tire quickly. Then
increase the beating speed to 4 strokes per second, beating as much air as possi-
ble into the mixture, and circulating the bowl so all the egg whites are entering
into the action. Start testing as soon as the whites seem to be stiff by gathering
a dollop in the wires of the whip and holding it upright. If peaks are formed
like those in the illustration, you have achieved “stiffly beaten egg whites.” If
not, beat a few seconds more and test again. When you have arrived at the right
consistency, the egg whites should be folded almost immediately into the souffle
mixture.

i6o

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

How to beat egg whites by machine - for 2 to 8 egg whites
A hand-held beater which you can circulate around the bowl to incor-
porate air into the egg whites is most satisfactory for machine-beating. If you
must use a stationary beater, continually push the whites into the blades with a
rubber spatula; the whites will not, unfortunately, mount as high as with the
hand-held beater.

Starting out as described for hand-beating, use a slow beating speed for
about a minute until the egg whites are foaming. Gradually increase the speed
to moderate while tilting the bowl and circulating the beater around its sides
and up from the middle, to beat as much air as possible into the mixture. Start
testing as soon as the egg whites seem stiff, as described for hand-beating in die
preceding directions.

Folding in the egg whites

After the main ingredients of the souffle have been blended together
and seasoned, the beaten egg whites are incorporated gently and delicately so
diat they will retain as much of their volume as possible. This process is known
as folding, and is accomplished as follows:

SOUFFLES

161

First stir a big spoonful of egg whites into the souffle mixture to lighten it.
Then with a rubber scraper, scoop the rest of the egg whites on top. Finally,
still using your rubber scraper, cut down from the top center of the mixture
to the bottom of the saucepan, then draw the scraper quickly toward you against
the edge of the pan, and up to the left and out, as illustrated. You are thus
bringing a bit of the souffle mixture at die bottom of the pan up over the egg
whites. Continue the movement while slowly rotating the saucepan, and
rapidly cutting down, toward you, and out to the left, until the egg whites
have been folded into the body of the souffle. The whole process should not
take more than a minute, and do not attempt to be too thorough. It is better
to leave a few unblended patches than to deflate the egg whites.

AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTES

After your souffle mold has been filled and is ready for the oven, you may
set it aside in a warm place free from drafts. Cover it with a big empty pot or
soup kettle. As long as it is protected, it will not begin to collapse for an hour.

SOUFFLE MOLDS

Although a souffle can be cooked in a fairly shallow porcelain or pyrex
dish — the usual type sold in America for this purpose— a more practical one is
the cylindrical, metal mold known in France as a charlotte. Charlotte molds
come in the following sizes, are inexpensive, and can be ordered from one of
the French import shops if you cannot find them elsewhere.

1 62

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

HEIGHT

3 34 inches
3V2 inches

4 inches

CHARLOTTE MOLDS

BOTTOM DIAMETER APPROXIMATE CAPACITY

inches 3 cups

3V2 inches 6 cups

6 inches 8 to 9 cups

If you do not have one of these, use a porcelain or pyrex mold holding
whatever capacity your recipe specifies. American recipes for souffles often
direct that you use the regular American type of mold and give it added height
by tying a double strip of buttered foil or brown paper around the dish and
removing it when the souffle is done. We have found this a nuisance, but if you
like diis method, calculate the capacity of the mold-plus-paper-collar according
to the height and diameter measurements in the preceding table.

Souffle Molds

Preparing the mold for the souffle

So that the souffle may slide easily up during its rise, butter the sides and
bottom of the mold heavily. Then roll grated cheese or bread crumbs around
in it, paying particular attention to the inner circumference, which must be
lightly but evenly coated. Turn the mold upside down and knock it on the
table to dislodge excess cheese or bread crumbs.

PLACEMENT IN THE OVEN

A souffle will always perform as it should if it is placed on a rack in the
middle level of a preheated 400-degrec oven and the temperature is immediately
reduced to 375 degrees.

GENERAL PROPORTIONS

Whether your souffle is made with cheese, fish, spinach, or anything else,
the proportions with few exceptions remain the same.

SOUFFLES

163

Ingredients

Amounts for a 6-cup
mold

Amounts for an 8-cup
mold

Thick bechamel or veloutS
sauce

2V2 Tb butter
3 Tb Hour
1 cup liquid

3!4 Tb butter
4‘/i Tb flour
1 Vz cups liquid

Egg yolks, beaten into sauce

4

6

Flavoring added: cheese, fish,
meat, vegetables

3 A cup

1 'A cups

Stiffly beaten egg whites
folded in

5

7 or 8

WHEN IS IT DONE?

After 25 to 30 minutes of baking in a 375-degree oven, the souffle will
have risen 2 or 3 inches over the rim of the mold and will have browned on
top. If you like the center creamy, it may be served at this point, but it is fragile
and will sink rapidly. It will collapse less readily if you allow it to cook 4 to 5
minutes more, until a trussing needle or thin knife plunged into die center
through the side of the puff comes out clean. A well-cooked souffle will stay
puffed for about 5 minutes in the turned-off hot oven. As it cools, it begins to
sink. Therefore, there should be no lingering when a souffle is to be eaten.

HOW TO SERVE A SOUFFLE

Puncture the top of the souffle lightly with a serving spoon and fork — held
vertically — and spread it apart for each serving.

* SOUFFLE AU FROMAGE

[Cheese Souffle]

This recipe is intended as a detailed guide to those that follow. All main-
course souffles follow this general pattern:

For 4 people

T he souffle sauce base

A 6-cup souffle mold, page Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

162

164

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

1 tsp butter

1 Tb grated Swiss or Parme-
san cheese

Measure out all your ingredients. Butter inside of
souffle mold and sprinkle with cheese.

3 Tb butter
A 2'/2-quart saucepan
3 Tb flour

A wooden spatula or spoon
1 cup boiling milk
A wire whip
Z2 tsp salt
Za tsp pepper

A pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with
a wooden spatula or spoon and cook over moderate
heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 min-
utes without browning. Remove from heat; when
mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all the boiling
milk at once. Beat vigorously with a wire whip until
blended. Beat in the seasonings. Return over mod-
erately high heat and boil, stirring with the wire
whip, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

4 e gg yolks Remove from heat. Immediately start to separate the

eggs. Drop the white into the egg white bowl, and
the yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the
yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Continue in
the same manner with the rest of the eggs. Correct
seasoning.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point. Dot top of
sauce with butter. Heat to tepid before continuing.

The egg whites and cheese

5 egg whites
A pinch of salt
Va cup (3 ounces) coarsely
grated Swiss, or Swiss and
Parmesan, cheese

Add an extra egg white to the ones in the bowl and
beat with the salt until stiff, as described and illus-
trated, page 159. Stir a big spoonful (about one quar-
ter of the egg whites) into the sauce. Stir in all but
a tablespoon of the cheese. Delicately fold in the rest
of the egg whites.

Baling

Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared mold, which should be almost three
quarters full. Tap bottom of mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the
souffle with the flat of a knife. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Set on a rack in middle level of preheated 400-degree oven and immediately turn
heat down to 375. (Do not open oven door for 20 minutes.) In 25 to 30 minutes the
souffle will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be
nicely browned. Bake 4 to s minutes more to firm it up, then serve at once.

SOUFFLES

165

VARIATION

Souffle Venddme

[Souffle with Poached Eggs]

Prepare the souffle mixture as in the preceding master recipe. Turn half
of it into the prepared mold. Arrange 4 to 6 cold poached eggs (page 116) over
the souffle, and cover with the rest of the souffle mixture. Sprinkle with cheese
and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 375-degree oven. Dig carefully into the
souffle so as to lift out an unbroken egg with each serving. Poached eggs also
may be baked in the following spinach souffle:

* SOUFFLE AUX EPINARDS

[Spinach Souffle]

For 4 people

A 6-cup souffle mold, page Butter the mold and sprinkle with cheese. Preheat
I ^2 oven to 400 degrees. Measure out your ingredients.

An enameled saucepan
1 Tb minced shallots or
green onion
i Tb butter

} A cup blanched chopped
spinach (or chopped
frozen spinach— which

will take several minutes
more cooking)

'/4 tsp salt

Cook the shallots or onions for a moment in the but-
ter. Add spinach and salt, and stir over moderately
high heat for several minutes to evaporate as much
moisture as possible from the spinach. Remove from
heat.

The souffle sauce base, page
i6 3

Prepare the souffle sauce base. After the egg yolks
have been beaten in, stir in the spinach. Correct sea-
soning.

5 e SS whites
A pinch of salt
/ to Vz cup (1V2 to 2
ounces) grated Swiss
cheese

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, page 159. Stir
one fourth of them into the sauce. Stir in all but a
tablespoon of the cheese. Fold in the rest of the egg
whites and turn mixture into prepared mold. Sprin-
kle with remaining cheese and set on a rack in the
middle level of preheated oven. Turn heat down to
375 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

i66

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

VARIATIONS to be added to the preceding spinach souffle:

Ham

Vi cup finely minced boiled
ham

Cook the ham with the butter and shallots for a mo-
ment before adding the spinach.

Mushrooms

'A lb. finely minced mush-
rooms
i Tb butter
Salt and pepper

A handful at a time, twist the mushrooms in the
corner of a towel to extract their juice. Saute in the
butter for 5 minutes or so until the mushroom pieces
begin to separate from one another. Season to taste.
Stir them into the souffle mixture with the spinach.

Other vegetable souffles

These are all done in exactly the same manner as the spinach souffle.
Use % cup of cooked vegetables, finely diced or pureed, such as mushrooms,
broccoli, artichoke hearts, or asparagus tips.

* SOUFFLE DE SAUMON

[Salmon Souffle]

For 4 people

A 6-cup souffle mold, page Butter the mold and sprinkle with cheese. Preheat
x (52 oven to 400 degrees. Measure out all your ingredients.

1 tsp butter

1 Tb grated Swiss or Par-
mesan cheese

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

3 Tb butter

A a'/i-quart saucepan
3 Tb flour

x cup boiling liquid (juice
from canned salmon, if
any, and milk)

V2 tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper

Cook the shallots or onions in the butter for a mo-
ment in the saucepan. Add the flour and cook 2 min-
utes. Off heat, beat in the boiling liquid, then the
seasonings, tomato paste, and herbs. Bring to boil,
stirring, for 1 minute.

SOUFFLES

167

i Tb tomato paste (for
color)

V2 tsp oregano or marjoram

4 e gg yolks Off heat, beat in the egg yolks one by one. Then beat

} A cup shredded cooked or in the salmon and all but a tablespoon of cheese.

canned salmon
Z2 cup (2 ounces) grated
Swiss cheese

5 egg whites Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, see page 159.

A pinch of salt Stir one fourth of them into the souffle mixture. Fold

in the rest. Turn into prepared mold and sprinkle
with the remaining cheese. Set in middle level of pre-
heated oven. Turn heat down to 375 degrees and bake
for about 30 minutes.

VARIATIONS

With the same method and proportions, you can make a souffle using
} / cup of any of the following:

Flaked canned tuna or any cooked fish

Finely diced or ground cooked lobster, shrimp, or crab

Ground cooked chicken or turkey

Pureed cooked sweetbreads or brains

If you wish to use raw fish or chicken, grind it, add it to the sauce base
with the boiling milk, and boil for 2 minutes. Then beat in the egg yolks and
proceed with the recipe.

FISH SOUFFLES FROM THE
HAUTE CUISINE

These are only more complicated than the preceding souffles in that each
requires fish filets poached in white wine, and each is accompanied by a deli-
cious type of hollandaise called sauce mousseline sabayon. The fish may be
poached ahead of time, and the souffle sauce base as well as the hollandaise
may also be prepared in advance. Remember that if the hollandaise is to wait,
it must be kept barely warm or it will thin out. If it is set aside to cool, reheat
it very gently and not too much.

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

1 68

* SOUFFLE DE POISSON

[Fish Souffle]

For 4 to 6 people

A 6-cup souffle mold, page Butter the mold and sprinkle with cheese. Measure
l( >2 out ingredients. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 tsp butter

1 Tb grated Swiss or Par-
mesan cheese

Preparing the fish

l A lb. skinless flounder
filets
54 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

54 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth

Grind half the fish; you will have % to % cup of
puree. Set it aside. Following directions for fish filets
in white wine on page 208, season the rest of the filets,
arrange them in a buttered baking dish with the shal-
lots, wine, and enough water barely to cover them.
Bring to the simmer, cover with buttered paper, and
bake in bottom third of oven for 8 to 10 minutes or
until a fork just pierces them easily. Strain out all the
cooking liquor, boil it down in an enameled saucepan
until it has reduced to % cup, and set it aside until
later for your sauce mousseline sabayon.

The souffle mixture

2Z2 Tb flour
3 Tb butter
A 2 54 -quart saucepan
1 cup boiling milk
Z2 tsp salt
Zs tsp pepper
The ground fish

Cook the flour and butter together slowly in the sauce-
pan for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat, beat in
the boiling milk, salt, pepper, and ground fish. Boil,
stirring, for 2 minutes.

4 e gg yo'ks

Remove from heat and immediately beat in the egg
yolks one by one. Taste for seasoning.

5 e gg whites
A pinch of salt
Zi cup (1 54 ounces) grated
Swiss cheese

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, page 159. Stir
one fourth of them into the souffle mixture. Stir in
the cheese. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg
whites.

SOUFFLES

169

Filling the mold

Turn a third of the souffle mixture into the prepared
mold. Cut the poached fish filets into 2-inch strips
about /z inch wide, and arrange half of them over
the souffle. Cover them with half the remaining
souffle mixture, and arrange the rest of the filets over
it. Cover them with the last of the souffle mixture.

Baking the souffle

1 Tb grated Swiss cheese Sprinkle the cheese on top, and set the mold in the

middle level of the preheated, 400-degree oven. Im-
mediately reduce heat to 375 degrees, and bake for
about 30 minutes, or until the souffle has puffed and
browned and a needle or knife plunged into the side
of the puff comes out clean. While the souffle is cook-
ing, prepare the following sauce as an accompani-
ment. Serve the souffle as soon as it is done.

Sauce Mousseline Sabayon (i/ 2 cups)

3 egg yolks
'/2 cup whipping cream
The '/4 cup concentrated
fish liquor

A 4-cup enameled saucepan
and a wire whip

Beat the egg yolks, cream, and fish liquor over low
heat until they gradually thicken into a light cream
that coats the wires of the whip (465 degrees). Do
not overheat or the egg yolks will scramble.

6 ounces (1V2 sticks) sof-
tened butter divided into
io pieces

Off heat, beat in the butter a piece at a time, beating
until each is almost absorbed before adding another,
The sauce will thicken like a hollandaise.

Salt and pepper
Lemon juice if necessary

Taste carefully for seasoning, and add drops of lemon
juice if you feel they are needed. Keep sauce over
tepid— not hot— water, and when the souffle is done,
pour the sauce into a warm sauceboat to accompany
the souffle.

170

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

VARIATIONS

Souffle de Homard

Souffle de Crabe

Souffle aux Crevettes

[Lobster, Crab or Shrimp
Souffle]

Use the same souffle mixture as in the preceding recipe, with about
% cup of ground flounder filets. Instead of poached fish filets in the center of
the souffle, use:

2 A cup cooked diced lobster,
crab, or shrimp

2 Tb butter
!4 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

3 Tb Madeira, sherry, or
dry white vermouth

Cook the diced shellfish gently in the butter and sea-
sonings for 3 minutes. Then add the wine, cover the
pan, and simmer for i minute. Raise heat and let
liquid boil off quickly.

Filets de Poisson en Souffle

[Fish Souffle Baked on a Platter]

A souffle will also rise impressively when baked on a platter. This recipe
is lighter than the preceding fish souffle as it has no ground fish in its sauce
base and only one egg yolk.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Z2 lb. skinless flounder filets
V2 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth
V2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
i Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Measure out ingredients. Poach the fish filets for 8 to
10 minutes in wine, seasonings, and shallots as de-
scribed in filets poached in white wine, page 208.
Drain out all the cooking liquor and boil it down in
an enameled saucepan until it has reduced to / cup.
Set it aside for your sauce mousseline sabayon. Turn
oven up to 425 degrees.

2/2 Tb butter
3 Tb flour

Cook the butter and flour slowly in the saucepan for
2 minutes without coloring. Off heat, beat in the boil-

SOUFFLES

I 7 1

A 2 '/2-quart saucepan ing milk and seasonings. Boil, stirring, for i minute,

i cup boiling milk Off heat, beat in the egg yolk. Check seasoning.

*/2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
i egg yolk

4 or 5 egg whites
Pinch of salt

Zz cup (2 ounces) coarsely
grated Swiss cheese

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, page 159. Stir
one fourth of them into the souffle base. Stir in all but
two tablespoons of the cheese. Delicately fold in the
rest of the egg whites.

A buttered oval fireproof
platter about 16 inches
long

Spread a '/-inch layer of souffle in the bottom of the
platter. Flake the poached fish filets and divide into
6 portions on the platter. Heap the rest of the souffle
mixture over the fish, making 6 mounds. Sprinkle
with the remaining cheese and set on a rack in upper
third of preheated 425-degree oven. Bake for 15 to 18
minutes, or until souffle has puffed and browned on

Ingredients for 1V2 cups Meanwhile, prepare the sauce as directed in the master

sauce mousseline saba- fish souffle recipe. Pass it separately in a warm sauce-

yon, page 169 boat.

SOUFFLE DEMOULE, MOUSSELINE

[Unmolded Souffle]

Most unmolded souffles are heavy, puddinglike affairs, but this one is
light and delicious. You bake it slowly in a pan of water for over an hour,
and then unmold it. Although it does not rise as high as its molded relatives,
it sinks only a little bit, and may be kept warm for a good 30 minutes before
it is served. You may adapt any of the souffle combinations in the preceding
recipes for unmolding if you use the same number of egg yolks and egg whites,
and the same cooking method specified in the following recipe. Unmolded
cheese souffle makes a handsome first course, and a fine main course sur-
rounded by or accompanied with chicken livers, sausages, mushrooms, green
peas, or asparagus tips.

For 6 people as a first course ; 4, as a main course

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

172

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

iVz cups tomato sauce or Set the tomato sauce to simmering,
fresh tomato puree, page
76 or 78

'A Tb butter Butter your mold heavily, especially on the bottom so

An 8-cup souffle mold, pref- the souffle will unmold easily. Roll cheese around in
erably one 4 inches deep it to cover the bottom and sides.

2 Tb finely grated Swiss or
Parmesan cheese

2V2 Tb butter

3 Tb flour

A 2 '/2-quart saucepan
A wooden spoon
3 A cup boiling milk
A wire whip
V2 tsp salt
Big pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

3 e gg yolks One by one, beat the egg yolks into the hot sauce.

A wire whip Correct seasoning.

6 egg whites In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until

A pinch of salt stiff peaks are formed, page 159. Stir one fourth of the

1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely egg whites into the sauce base; then stir in the cheese,
grated Swiss cheese, or a Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites,
combination of Swiss and
Parmesan

Turn the mixture into the prepared mold, which the souffle will fill by about two
thirds. Set in a pan and pour boiling water around the mold to come up to the level
of the souffle mixture. Place in middle level of preheated oven and bake for about
1 14 hours. Regulate heat so water in pan never quite simmers— this is important;
souffle must cook slowly. The souffle is done when it has risen about half an inch
over the top of the mold, is brown and crusty, and has just begun to show a faint
line of shrinkage from the sides of the mold.

Turn a warm serving plate over the souffle; reverse them. Then, clamping mold
and plate together, give a sharp downward jerk or two, and the souffle will dislodge
itself. If the mold was properly buttered, and the souffle sufficiently cooked, it will
unmold perfectly, and present a golden brown exterior. Surround the souffle with

Stir the butter and flour over moderate heat in the
saucepan until they foam and froth together for 2
minutes without coloring. Off heat, vigorously beat
in the boiling milk, then the seasonings. Boil over
moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from
heat.

SOUFFLES

173

the tomato sauce, and serve. In the case of blemishes, pour the sauce over the souffle
and decorate with parsley.

( # ) For a wait of 30 minutes or so, leave the souffle unmolded in its pan of hot water,
and return to hot, turned-off oven with door ajar.

SOUFFLE AUX BLANCS D’OEUFS

[Cheese Souffle with Egg Whites Only]

The following light souffle with its strong cheese flavor is one way of
using leftover egg whites. Remember that egg whites take well to freezing,
so you can make a collection and do the souffle when you have the right
amount. One egg white equals 2 tablespoons.

If you wish to make this type of souffle with other flavorings, substitute
% cup of ground fish, chicken, sweetbreads, ham, or vegetables for two thirds
of the diced cheese.

For 4 people

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

A 6-cup souffle mold Butter the souffle mold and sprinkle with grated

cheese, page 162. Measure out your ingredients.

2V2 Tb butter Cook the butter and flour slowly together in the sauce-

3 Tb flour pan for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat, beat in

A 2 '/2-quart saucepan the simmering cream and seasonings. Boil, stirring,

Za cup simmering light for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

cream
Zi tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper
Big pinch of nutmeg

6 or 7 egg whites (Za to %
cup)

Big pinch of salt
Za cup (3 ounces) coarsely
grated Swiss cheese
Za cup (3 ounces) Swiss
cheese cut into 14 -inch
dice

Turn mixture into the prepared mold, sprinkle with
the remaining cheese, and set in middle level of pre-

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, page 159. Stir
one fourth of them into the souffle mixture. Stir in all
but a tablespoon of the grated cheese, then the diced
cheese. Fold in the rest of the egg whites.

'74

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

heated, 400-degree oven. Immediately reduce heat to
375 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until
souffle has puffed and browned. Serve immediately.

* TIMBALES DE FOIES DE VOLAILLE

[Unmolded Chicken Liver Custards]

These delicate little entrees (also called mousses, pains, and souffles) are
usually baked in individual ramekins and served hot with a bearnaise sauce.
Or you can bake the ingredients in one large ring mold and fill the center with
die sauce. It can be prepared very quickly in an electric blender, but if you do
not have one, put the livers through a meat grinder, push them through a sieve,
then beat in the rest of the ingredients.

For 4 cups serving 8 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 Tb butter
2 Tb flour
1 cup boiling milk
14 tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

Make a thick bechamel sauce in a small saucepan by
cooking the butter and flour together until they foam
for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat, beat in the
boiling milk and seasonings. Boil, stirring, for 1
minute. Allow to cool while preparing other ingredi-
ents, beating occasionally.

1 lb. or about 2 cups of
chicken livers

2 eggs

2 egg yolks
/a tsp salt
14 tsp pepper

Place the livers, eggs, egg yolks, and seasonings in
the blender, cover, and blend at top speed for 1
minute.

6 Tb whipping cream
2 Tb port, Madeira, or co-
gnac

Add the cool bechamel sauce, cream, and wine to the
liver and blend for 15 seconds. Strain through a sieve
into a bowl.

Optional: 1 chopped,

canned truffle

Stir in the optional truffle and correct seasoning.

(*) If not used immediately, cover and refrigerate.

1 Tb butter

8 ramekins of 14 -cup capac-
ity, or a 4-cup ring mold

Butter the interior of the ramekins or mold heavily.
Pour in the liver mixture filling each ramekin or the
mold to within about % inch of the top.

TIMBALES

175

A pan containing 1 to 1V2 Set in pan of boiling water, then place on a rack in
inches of boiling water middle level of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes,

until a needle or knife plunged into the center comes
out clean, and the timbales have just begun to show a
line of shrinkage from the ramekins.

(*) If not served immediately, leave in hot turned-
off oven, with door ajar, for 15 to 20 minutes.

2 cups sauce bearnaise, Run a knife around the edge of each timbale and re-
pagc 8 4 verse onto a serving platter or serving plates. Top

each with a spoonful of sauce, and pass the rest of the
sauce separately.

VARIATIONS

Using the same proportions and method, substitute for the chicken livers
any of the following cooked ingredients: ham, chicken, turkey, sweetbreads,
salmon, lobster, crab, scallops, mushrooms, asparagus tips, or spinach.

Other Sauces

Sauce Aurore, bechamel or veloute with cream and a flavoring of tomato
paste, page 62

Sauce Mad ere, brown sauce with Madeira wine, page 75

Sauce Perigueux, brown sauce with truffles, page 75

Sauce Estragon, brown sauce with tarragon, page 73

PUFFS, GNOCCHI, AND
QUENELLES

* pAte A choux

[Cream Puff Paste]

Pate a choux is one of those quick, easy, and useful preparations like be-
chamel sauce which every cook should know how to make. Probably the only
reason for the packaged mix, which in addition to its purchase price requires
fresh eggs and hot water, is that most people do not realize cream puff paste
is only a very, very thick white sauce or partade of flour, water, seasonings,
and buttter, into which eggs are beaten. The eggs make the paste swell as it

i 7 6

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

cooks. For half the price of a packaged mix, and in less than ten minutes, you
can make your own cream puff paste with the good taste of fresh butter.

Baked just as it is in the following recipe or mixed with cheese, pate a
choux becomes puffs for hors d’oeuvres. Sweetened with sugar, it is ready to
be cream puffs. When mashed potatoes or cooked semolina is beaten in, it turns
into gnocchi. And with ground fish, veal, or chicken, it is quenelle paste, or
can become a mousse.

For about 2 cups

A iVi-quart, heavy-bot- Bring water to boil with the butter and seasonings
tomed saucepan and boil slowly until the butter has melted. Mean-

i cup water while measure out the flour.

3 ounces (6 Tb or % stick)
butter cut into pieces
i tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

i cup sifted all-purpose flour
(See measuring directions,
page 17)

A wooden spatula or spoon

Remove from heat and immediately pour in all the
flour at once. Beat vigorously with a wooden spatula
or spoon for several seconds to blend thoroughly.
Then beat over moderately high heat for 1 to 2
minutes until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and
the spoon, forms a mass, and begins to film the bot-
tom of the pan.

4 e gg s (U.S. graded “large”) Remove saucepan from heat and make a well in the

center of the paste with your spoon. Immediately
break an egg into the center of the well. Beat it into
the paste for several seconds until it has absorbed.
Continue with the rest of the eggs, beating them in
one by one. The third and fourth eggs will be ab-
sorbed more slowly. Beat for a moment more to be
sure all is well blended and smooth.

Pate a choux for Dessert Puffs

For dessert puffs, only a suggestion of sugar— 1 teaspoon— is added to
boil with the water and butter in the preceding recipe, and the salt is reduced

PATE A CHOUX

177

from 1 teaspoon to a pinch. Otherwise there is no difference in ingredients
or method.

Leftover pate a choux

Pate a choux is usually employed as soon as it is made, and while it is still
warm. If it is not used immediately, rub the surface with butter and cover with
waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming over it. If your recipe then speci-
fies warm pate a choux, beat it vigorously in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over
low heat for a moment until it is smooth and free from lumps and is barely
warm to your finger. Be very careful not to warm it to more than tepid or the
paste will lose its puffing ability. Pate a choux may be kept under refrigeration
for several days, or it may be frozen. Reheated gently as just described, it will
produce a good small puff; large puffs may not always rise as high as those
made with fresh paste.

If you wish to make hot hors d’oeuvres in a hurry, leftover p&te a choux
can help you. Beat 3 or 4 tablespoons of heavy cream into / 2 cup of warmed
pate a choux, then several tablespoons of grated cheese, minced ham, or minced
clams. Spread the mixture on crackers, toast, or triangles of bread, pop them
into a hot oven, and in 15 minutes you will have lovely puffed canapes.

PUFF SHELLS

Choux

You cannot fail with puff shells— as mounds of pate a choux puff and
brown automatically in a hot oven — if you take the proper final measures to
insure the shells remain crisp. A perfect puff is firm to the touch, tender and
dry to the taste. Hot puffs will seem perfectly cooked when taken from the

i?8

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

oven, but, if left as they are, they will become soggy as they cool because there
is always an uncooked center portion that gradually spreads its dampness
through to the outside crust. To prevent this sad effect, small puffs are punc-
tured to release steam; large puffs are slit, and often their uncooked centers
are removed. This is actually the only secret to puff making.

When you have done puff shells once or twice you will find that it takes
less than 30 minutes from start to finish to make them ready for the oven, and
that they are a wonderfully useful invention. Hot, bite-sized, filled puffs make
delicious appetizers. Large ones may contain creamed fish, meat, or mush-
rooms and be a hot first course. And sweet puffs with ice cream or custard fill-
ing and chocolate or caramel topping are always an attractive dessert.

The Pastry Bag

A pastry bag makes the neatest puffs. If you do not have one, drop the
paste on the baking sheet with a spoon.

Small Puffs

For 36 to 40 puffs 1 l A to IV 2 inches in diameter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients for 2 cups warm
pate a choux from the
preceding recipe

Make the pate a choux.

Fold the top 3 inches of the pastry bag over your left
hand as illustrated. Using a rubber spatula, fill the bag
with the warm choux paste.

PUFF SHELLS

179

e> &

A pastry bag with Vi- inch,
round tube opening
2 buttered baking sheets

1 egg beaten with Z2 tsp
water in a small bowl
A pastry brush

Squeeze the paste onto the baking sheets, making
circular mounds about 1 inch in diameter and Zi inch
high. Space the mounds 2 inches apart.

Then dip your pastry brush into the beaten egg and
flatten each pulT very slightly with the side of the
brush. Avoid dripping egg down the puff and onto
the baking sheet, as this will prevent the puff from
rising.

Set the sheets in the upper and lower thirds of your
preheated, 425-degree oven, and bake for about 20
minutes. The puffs are done when they have doubled
in size, are a golden brown, and firm and crusty to
the touch. Remove them from the oven and pierce the
side of each puff with a sharp knife. Then set in the
turned-off oven and leave the door ajar for 10 minutes.
Cool the puffs on a rack.

Large Puffs

For 10 to 12 puffs about 3 inches in diameter

Use the same ingredients as in the preceding recipe, but provide your
pastry bag with a %-inch, round tube opening. Squeeze the choux paste onto
the baking sheets in mounds 2 to 2 % inches in diameter and 1 inch at the

i8o

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

highest point. Space the mounds 2 inches apart. Flatten each mound slightly
with the flat of your pastry brush dipped into the beaten egg. Place the baking
sheets in the upper and lower thirds of a preheated, 425-degree oven and bake
for 20 minutes, or until the puffs have doubled in size and are lightly browned.
Then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until
the puffs are golden brown, and firm and crusty to the touch. Remove from
oven, and make a i-inch slit in the side of each puff. Return the puffs to the
hot, turned-off oven, and leave its door ajar for 10 minutes. Then open one
puff as a test. If its center is damp, either reach into the other puffs through
their slits with the handle of a teaspoon and remove their damp centers, or
cut all the puffs in two horizontally, and scrape out the uncooked portions
with a fork. Allow the halves to cool and crisp, then re-form die puffs.

Freezing Puff Shells

Puff shells freeze perfectly. Just before using frozen puffs, set them in a
425-degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes to thaw and crisp them.

Filling Puff Shells

For appetizer or entree puffs, use any of the cream fillings on pages 201
to 203. Either place the filling in a pastry bag, slit the sides of the puffs, and
squeeze in the filling, or remove the tops of the puffs and insert the filling

with a spoon. Reheat for 2 to 3 minutes in a 425-degree oven. For dessert puffs,
use ice cream, or the custard filling, creme pdtissiere on page 590, plain or with
beaten egg whites.

PUFF SHELLS

181

Petits Choux uu Promage

[Cheese Puffs]

As cocktail appetizers, these may be served hot or cold, and need no filling.
Because of the large amount of cheese, they do not rise as high as plain puffs.

For about 40 puffs, 1 V2 inches in diameter when baked

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat the cheese into the warm pate a choux. Correct
seasoning. Squeeze into circular mounds on a baking
sheet, paint with beaten egg, and bake as in the pre-
ceding recipe for small puffs. After painting with
egg, you may, if you wish, sprinkle each puff with a
pinch of grated cheese.

1 cup (4 ounces) grated
Swiss, or Swiss and Par-
mesan, cheese

2 cups warm pate a choux,
page 175

GNOCCHI

Gnocchi and quenelles are types of dumplings made of pate a choux
into which a puree is beaten. They are shaped into ovals or cylinders and are
poached for 15 to 20 minutes in salted water or bouillon until they swell almost
double in size. After they have drained, they may be covered with a hot sauce,
or they may be gratinced with cheese and butter, or with a sauce.

Both gnocchi and quenelles are relatively simple to make, and as they may
be poached ahead of time and either refrigerated or frozen, they are a useful
addition to one’s cooking repertoire.

* GNOCCHI DE POMMES DE TERRE

[Potato Gnocchi ]

These make a good luncheon dish, or may be used as a starchy vegetable
to accompany a roast.

For about 12 gnocchi, 3 by IV 2 inches when cooked

3 to 4 medium-sized baking Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in salted water
potatoes (1 pound) until tender. Drain and put through a ricer. You

should have 2 cups.

182

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

Dry out the potatoes by stirring them in a heavy-bot-
tomed saucepan over moderate heat for a minute or
two until they film the bottom of the pan. Remove
from heat.

x cup warm pate d choux, Beat the pate a choux and the cheese into the potatoes.

page 175 Correct seasoning.

Vi cup (1 Vi ounces) grated
Swiss, or Swiss and Par-
mesan, cheese

Take the mixture by dessert-spoonfuls and roll it with
the palms of your hands on a lightly floured board to
form cylinders about 2*4 inches long and 1 inch in
diameter.

A 12-inch skillet of simmer- Slip the gnocchi into the simmering water and poach,
ing salted water uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Water should remain

almost but not quite at the simmer throughout the
cooking. If it boils, the gnocchi may disintegrate.
When they have swelled almost double, and roll over
easily in the water, they are done. Drain on a rack or
a towel. Serve as in the following suggestions:

TO SERVE

Gnocchi Gratifies an Fromage

[ Gnocchi Baked with Cheese]

The preceding gnocchi
V2 cup grated Swiss or Par-
mesan cheese

2 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Arrange the drained gnocchi in a shallow, buttered,
baking dish. Spread the cheese over them and dot
with the butter. Set aside uncovered.

Ten minutes before serving time, reheat and brown
them slowly under a moderately hot broiler.

Gnocchi Mornay

[Gnocchi Baked with Cheese Sauce]

GNOCCHI

I8 3

For about 3 cups of sauce

4 Tb butter

4'/2 Tb flour

A 2-quart saucepan

3 cups boiling milk

Z4 tsp salt

Vs tsp pepper

Big pinch of nutmeg

Cook the butter and flour together slowly in the
saucepan for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat,
beat in the boiling milk and seasonings. Boil, stirring,
for x minute.

% cup (3 ounces) coarsely
grated Swiss cheese

Remove from heat and beat for a moment to cool
slightly. Then beat in the cheese and correct season-
ing.

The potato gnoccbi, page
181

3 Tb finely grated Swiss
cheese

1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Arrange the gnocchi in a buttered baking dish about
2 inches deep. Spoon the cheese sauce over them,
sprinkle with cheese, and dot with the butter. Set
aside uncovered.

About 10 minutes before serving time, reheat and
brown slowly under a moderately hot broiler.

ADDITIONS TO THE POTATO GNOCCHI PASTE on page 181.

Any of the following may be mixed into the gnocchi paste along with the
cheese, and are especially good if your gnocchi are to be served as a main course.
3 to 4 TB minced fresh green herbs, such as chives and parsley
/ to Z z cup minced cooked ham or bacon
14 to Zz CU P sauteed diced mushrooms or chicken livers

GNOCCHI DE SEMOULE AVEC PATE A CHOUX -
PAT ALIN A

[Semolina Gnocchi]

Italian gnocchi are made of semolina with butter and seasonings. This
French version with pate a choux gives the semolina a puff and a lighter texture.
Semolina is farina, which in turn is the residue of middle-sized particles left
over from the sifting of durum wheat, the type of wheat used for making

184

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

macaroni. Untreated semolina takes 20 to 30 minutes to cook. Quick-cooking
farina breakfast cereal, which is semolina, cooks in 3 or 4 minutes.

For about 12 pieces, 3 by I/2 inches when cooked

1/2 cups water
1 Tb butter
Z2 tsp salt
Vs, tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan with the but-
ter and seasonings.

Vt cup (2 ounces) quick-
cooking farina breakfast
cereal

Stirring the boiling water with a wooden spoon,
gradually sprinkle in the farina. Boil, stirring, for 3 to
4 minutes until the cereal is thick enough to form a
mass on the back of the spoon. (You will have about
1 J4 cups of cereal.)

!4 cup (2 ounces) grated
Swiss or Parmesan cheese
2 cups warm pate a choux,
page 175

Beat the cereal, then the cheese, into the pate h choux.
Correct seasoning.

Roll the gnocchi paste into cylinders on a floured
board, poach in salted water, drain, and brown under
the broiler with grated cheese or cheese sauce as for
the potato gnocchi in the preceding recipes.

QUENELLES

A quenelle, for those who are not familiar with this delicate triumph of
French cooking, is pate a choux with a puree of raw fish, veal, or chicken
which is formed into ovals or cylinders and poached in seasoned liquid. Served
hot in a good sauce, quenelles make a distinguished first course or luncheon
dish. A good quenelle mixture is almost as light as a souffle, and has just enough
body to hold its shape when it goes into the poaching liquid. If the paste is too
solid, the quenelle will taste dry and heavy, and if it is not solid enough it will
disintegrate as it cooks. Of all the quenelle-making techniques we have tried,
from the classical mortar and drum-sieve method of the ancients to the electric
blender, the process described here seems to us to be the simplest and best. The
initial paste can take as little as 15 minutes to prepare.

A chilled white Burgundy or Graves is perfect with quenelles in a cream

QUENELLES

I8 5

sauce. A good red Bordeaux-Medoc goes with veal or chicken quenelles in a
brown sauce.

* QUENELLES DE POISSON

[Fish Quenelles]

Fish quenelles in France are usually labeled quenelles de brocket, and
are presumably made from pike, a fish of excellent flavor but so webbed with
little bones that a quenelle is the most convenient way of eating it. If pike
filets are used, the fish must be pounded in a mortar and then pushed through
a fine-meshed sieve to eliminate the bones. Boneless fish filets may be pureed
in a meat grinder and need not be sieved. The electric blender is not suitable
for this type of puree.

Beating equipment

Quenelle paste requires a fairly thorough beating at the end of the process
when cream is added to it. As the paste is thick and sticky, the pastry blender
attachment for an electric mixer is excellent. Otherwise you must beat by hand
with a wooden spoon because the regular egg-beating attachment for a mixer
becomes hopelessly clogged.

Choice of fish

The type of fish to use for quenelles is one with lean, fairly close-grained
flesh of a slightly gelatinous quality, which will combine solidly enough with
the pate a choux so that a good amount of cream can be beaten in. Flimsy, light-
textured fish will absorb little cream and thus produce a rather dull and dry
quenelle. One of the best American substitutes for pike is halibut. Other choices
are silver hake ( merlan ), green or ocean cod (colin), conger or sea eel
(congre), or one of the firmer-fleshed flounder varieties, especially winter
flounder {pseud opleuronectes americanus).

For about 16 quenelles

Pdte a choux (2 cups)

1 cup water

A 1 14 -quart, heavy-bot-
tomed saucepan
1 tsp salt
4 Tb butter

1 cup sifted all-purpose
flour

Following the general directions for pdte d choux on
page 175, bring the water to the boil in the saucepan
with the salt and butter. As soon as the butter has
melted, remove the saucepan from heat and beat in
all the flour at once with a wooden spatula or spoon.
Then beat over moderately high heat for several
minutes until the mixture forms a mass. Off heat and

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

1 86

2 eggs

2 egg whites
A 4-quart mixing bowl

one by one, beat in the eggs, then the egg whites. Turn
the pate a choux into the mixing bowl.

The fish

i '/4 lbs. skinless and bone-
less lean fish filets from
the preceding suggestions
2 Tb finely minced truffle
OR a big pinch of nutmeg
Zi tsp salt
Za tsp white pepper

Put the fish twice through the finest blade of the meat
grinder. You should have 2 cups of puree. Beat it
vigorously into the pate a choux along with the
truffles or nutmeg, and seasonings. (Use the pastry-
blender attachment for your mixer, or a wooden
spoon or spatula.) Set the paste in the coldest part of
the refrigerator until it is thoroughly chilled. This will
stiffen it so it will have sufficient body to absorb
cream.

Adding the cream

2 to 6 Tb chilled whipping Just before you are ready to poach the quenelles,
cream vigorously beat chilled cream into the chilled paste by

half-tablespoons. How much to add will depend on
the consistency of the paste. It must be firm enough
to hold its shape when it is formed into quenelles, but
if too much cream is incorporated the paste will be-
come too soft. If you have any doubts, test the paste
by dropping a spoonful into barely simmering water
as described in the following directions.

Shaping quenelles and poaching them

2 dessert spoons in a cup of
cold water

A 12-inch skillet containing
3 to 4 inches of barely sim-
mering fish stock or salted
water

(The spoon method described here makes the most
delicate quenelles. A neater-looking but less light-
textured alternative is to roll them into cylinders on
a floured board as for the gnocchi on page 181.)

With a wet spoon, dip out a rounded mass of the cold
quenelle paste. Transfer the spoon to your left hand.
Smooth the top of the paste with the inverted bowl
of the second wet spoon. Then slip the bowl of the
second spoon under the quenelle to loosen it and drop
it into the barely simmering liquid. Rapidly form
quenelles with the rest of the paste in the same man-
ner. Poach them uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes,
never allowing the water to come beyond the barest
suggestion of a simmer. The quenelles are done when

QUENELLES

I8 7

they have about doubled in size and roll over easily.
Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on a rack
or a towel.

(*) If the quenelles are not to be served immediately,
arrange them in a lightly buttered dish, brush them
with melted butter, cover with waxed paper, and re-
frigerate. They will keep perfectly for one to two days.

Fish Mousse

In Case of Disaster

If by any chance your quenelle paste turns out to be too soft to poach as
quenelles, it will taste every bit as good if you declare it to be a mousse. Pack it
into a buttered souffle mold, a ring mold, or individual serving molds. Set in a
pan of boiling water and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until the mousse
has risen and shows a faint line of shrinkage from the sides of the mold. Un-
mold and serve with any of the fish sauces suggested on pages 214 to 216, or
with the delicious sauce mousseline sabayon in the fish souffle recipe on page
169.

Sauces for Quenelles

Quenelles may be served as in the following recipe, in which they may be
sauced ahead of time and gratinced just before serving; or hot quenelles may
be coated with a hot sauce. If you choose the latter system and the quenelles
have been prepared in advance, cover them and heat them through in a buttered
dish for 10 to 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Then sauce them. Fish quenelles
may be substituted for poached fish filets in any of the recipes for fish on pages

i88

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

214 to 216, which include the fine, rich, buttery sauces such as Nantua and nor-
mande.

Gratin de Quenelles de Poisson

[Quenelles Gratineed in White Wine Sauce]

Sauce supreme de poisson (4 cups) enough for 16 poached quenelles,
page 183

5 Tb butter
7 Tb flour

A 2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

1/2 cups boiling milk
1Z2 cups boiling, concen-
trated, white-wine fish
stock, page 114
V2 tsp salt
Vs tsp white pepper

Cook the butter and flour slowly together in the
saucepan for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat,
beat in the boiling milk, fish stock, and seasonings.
Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

% to 1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice

Slowly simmering the sauce, thin it out with the
cream, stirred in by tablespoons. Sauce should be
thick enough to coat the spoon fairly heavily. Taste
carefully for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and drops
of lemon juice as you feel it necessary.

A lightly buttered bak-
ing dish 2 inches deep
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Pour / inch of sauce in the baking dish. Arrange the
dra.ned quenelles on top and spoon the rest of the
sauce over them. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with
the butter. Set aside uncovered.

About 10 to 15 minutes before serving time, reheat
and brown slowly under a moderate broiler.

Quenelles aux Huitres

[Fish Quenelles with Oysters]

V2 Tb minced shallots or Saute the shallots in butter for a moment in a small
green onions saucepan. Add the oysters, wine, and seasonings.

QUENELLES

189

1 Tb butter
12 large oysters, shelled
Vi cup dry white wine or /1
cup dry white vermouth
!4 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Poach at just below the simmer for 3 to 4 minutes,
until the oysters swell. Drain the oysters. Boil the
poaching liquid over high heat until it is reduced by
half, and reserve it for your sauce.

Ingredients for the fish Roll one oyster into each cylinder of the fish quenelle

quenelle paste, page 185 paste. Poach and sauce the quenelles in the same

manner as the fish quenelles in the preceding recipes.

Quenelles de Saumon

[Salmon Quenelles]

Use exactly the same proportions and method as given in the master recipe
for the fish quenelles, page 185, substituting 2 cups of raw salmon, or well-
drained canned salmon, for the white-fleshed fish. You may wish to include
a tablespoon of tomato paste for added color. Serve with the fish veloute sauce,
or with any of the other sauces suggested for fish quenelles.

Quenelles de Crustaces

[Shrimp, Lobster, or Crab Quenelles]

Using exactly the same proportions and method as given in the master
recipe for the fish quenelles on page 185, substitute 2 cups of raw, cooked, or
canned shrimps, lobster, or crab for the fish. The same sauces also apply.

Quenelles de Veau

Quenelles de Volatile

[Veal, Chicken, or Turkey Quenelles]

Veal, chicken, and turkey quenelles use the same proportions and methods
as the master recipe for quenelles, with the following slight alterations:

Ingredients for quenelles, Put the meat twice through the finest blade of the

page 185, but substitute meat grinder, and beat it into the pate a choux. Chill,

the following for the 2 Then beat in the cream and seasonings. Form into

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

190

cups of fish: 2 cups raw quenelles and arrange in the skillet. Cover by 2 inches

veal, chicken, or turkey, with boiling stock or water. Poach for 15 to 20

minus all skin, bones, and minutes. Drain. Serve in one of the following ways:
gristle

A 12-inch buttered skillet
Boiling well-seasoned chick-
en or veal stock, or salted
water

TO SERVE

Quenelles au Gratin. Use the same proportions and method as for the veloutc
with cream in the gratin recipe, page 188, substituting the veal or chicken
stock in which you poached the quenelles for the fish stock and all or part
of the milk.

Or use the cheese sauce in the gnocchi recipe on page 182.

Quenelles, Sauce Madere. Pour over the hot quenelles a brown sauce flavored
with Madeira: sauce madere, page 75, or sauce perigueux (with truffles),
page 75.

FRENCH PANCAKES

Crepes

Every French household makes use of crepes, not only as a festive dessert
for Mardi Gras and Candlemas Day, but as an attractive way to turn leftovers
or simple ingredients into a nourishing main-course dish. Crepes may be rolled
around a filling of fish, meat, or vegetables, spread with sauce, and browned
under the broiler. More spectacular is a gateau de crepes in which the pancakes
are piled upon each other in a stack of 24, each spread with a filling. This is
then heated in the oven and gratineed with a good sauce. Or the crepes may be
piled in a souffle mold with alternating layers of filling, heated in the oven,
unmolded, and coated with sauce. Whatever system you decide upon, includ-
ing rolled crepes, your dish may be prepared in advance and heated up when
you are ready to serve.

Dessert crepes, called crepes sucrees, and entree crepes, crepes salees, have
slightly different proportions, but their batters are blended and cooked in the

CREPES ipi

same way. The following recipe is made with an electric blender, because it is
so quick. If you do not have one, gradually blend the eggs into the flour, beat
in the liquid by spoonfuls, then the butter, and strain the batter to get rid of
any possible lumps. Crepe batter should be made at least 2 hours before it is to
be used; this allows the flour particles to expand in the liquid and insures a
tender, light, thin crepe.

pAte A crepes

[Crepe Batter]

For about 12 crepes, 6 to 6V2 inches in diameter

1 cup cold water Put the liquids, eggs, and salt into the blender jar. Add

1 cup cold milk the flour, then the butter. Cover and blend at top

4 eggs speed for 1 minute. If bits of flour adhere to sides of

Z2 tsp salt jar, dislodge with a rubber scraper and blend for 2 to

2 cups sifted all-purpose 3 seconds more. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2

flour hours.

4 Tb melted butter
A rubber scraper

The batter should be a very light cream, just thick
enough to coat a wooden spoon. If, after making your
first crepe, it seems too heavy, beat in a bit of water,
a spoonful at a time. Your cooked crepe should be
about Yiq inch thick.

Method for Making Crepes

The first crepe is a trial one to test out the consistency of your batter, the
exact amount you need for the pan, and the heat.

An iron skillet or a crepe
pan with a 6V2- to 7-inch
bottom diameter
A piece of fat bacon or pork-
rind; OR 2 to 3 Tb cook-
ing oil and a pastry brush

Rub the skillet with the rind or brush it lightly with
oil. Set over moderately high heat until the pan is
just beginning to smoke.

✓

192 CHAPTER four: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

A ladle or measure to hold Immediately remove from heat and, holding handle

3 to 4 Tb or *4 cup of pan in your right hand, pour with your left hand

a scant / cup of batter into the middle of the pan.
Quickly tilt the pan in all directions to run the batter
all over the bottom of the pan in a thin film. (Pour
any batter that does not adhere to the pan back into
your bowl; judge the amount for your next crepe ac-
cordingly.) This whole operation takes but 2 or 3
seconds.

Return the pan to heat for 60 to 80 seconds. Then jerk and toss pan sharply back and
forth and up and down to loosen the crepe. Lift its edges with a spatula and if the
under side is a nice light brown, the crepe is ready for turning.

Turn the crepe by using 2 spatulas; or grasp the edges nearest you in your fingers and
sweep it up toward you and over again into the pan in a reverse circle; or toss it over
by a flip of the pan.

Brown lightly for about / 2 minute on the other side. This second side is rarely more
than a spotty brown, and is always kept as the underneath or nonpublic aspect of the
crepe.

CREPES

193

Slide crepe onto a plate. Grease the skillet again, heat to just smoking, and proceed
with the rest of the crepes. Crepes may be kept warm by covering them with a dish
and setting them over simmering water or in a slow oven. Or they may be made
several hours in advance and reheated when needed.

As soon as you are used to the procedure, you can keep 2 pans going at once, and
make 24 crepes in less than half an hour.

Gateau de Crepes a la Florentine

[Mound of French Pancakes Filled with Cream Cheese, Spinach, and
Mushrooms]

An amusing entree or main-course dish can be made by piling crepes, a
filling between each, in a shallow baking dish. (It looks like a many-layered
cake or cylindrical mound.) Then the whole mound is covered with a good
sauce and heated in the oven. Instead of the spinach, cheese, and mushrooms
suggested, use any type of filling you wish, even three or four different kinds
rather than one or two. Like the cream fillings on page 201, they are all a com-
bination of well-flavored sauce and a mince or puree of cooked fish, shellfish,
veal, ham, chicken or chicken livers, to which are added cooked vegetables such
as asparagus tips, eggplant, tomatoes, spinach, or mushrooms if you wish. Other
sauce suggestions, depending on your filling, are tomato sauce, page 76, brown
Madeira sauce, page 75, sauce soubisc (bechamel with pureed onions), page 64.
You may use one or more types of sauce for the fillings, and still anodier to top
the mound of crepes.

This type of dish may be made ready for die oven in the morning, and
heated up at dinnertime.

For 4 to 6 people

Batter for 24 crepes 654 Make the crepes and set them aside,
inches in diameter, page
191

Sauce Mornay ( bechamel with cheese), 3 cups

5 Tb flour Cook the flour and butter slowly together in the sauce-

4 Tb butter pan for 2 minutes without coloring.

A i*/2-quart saucepan

2/4 cups boiling milk
Z2 tsp salt
54 tsp pepper
Big pinch of nutmeg

Off heat, beat in the boiling milk and seasonings.
Boil, stirring, for 1 minute.

194

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

14 cup whipping cream
x cup coarsely grated Swiss
cheese

Reduce to the simmer and stir in the cream by table-
spoons. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the
spoon fairly heavily. Remove from heat and correct
seasoning. Stir in all but two tablespoons of the cheese.
Film top of sauce with milk to prevent a skin from
forming.

The spinach filling

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

2 Tb butter

1/2 cups blanched chopped
spinach, page 468
14 tsp salt

Cook the shallots or onions in butter for a moment
in an enameled saucepan. Add spinach and salt, and
stir over moderately high heat for 2 to 3 minutes to
evaporate moisture. Stir in / to / cup of the cheese
sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Correct seasoning and set aside.

The cheese and. mushroom filling

1 cup cottage cheese or 8 Mash the cheese in a mixing bowl with the seasonings.

ounces cream cheese Beat in )/$ to / cup of cheese, and the egg.

Salt and pepper
1 c gg

14 lb. (1 cup) minced mush-
rooms

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
1 Tb butter
1/2 Tb oil

Saute the mushrooms and shallots in butter and oil
for 5 to 6 minutes in a skillet. Stir them into the
cheese mixture, and correct seasoning.

Forming the mound

A round baking dish about
9 inches in diameter and
1 14 inches deep
3 Tb grated cheese
14 Tb butter

Butter the baking dish, and center a crepe in the bot-
tom. Spread it with a layer of cheese and mushroom
filling. Press a crepe on top and spread it with a layer
of spinach filling. Continue with alternating layers of
crepes and filling, ending with a crepe. Pour the re-
maining cheese sauce over the top and sides of the
mound. Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of cheese and
dot with 3 or 4 pea-sized bits of butter. Set aside.

Baling

About 25 to 30 minutes before serving time, place in upper third of a preheated 350-
degree oven to heat through thoroughly and brown the top lightly. To serve, cut in
pie-shaped wedges.

CREPES

195

VARIATIONS

Timbale de Crepes

[Molded French Pancakes with Various Fillings]
For 6 people

A 1 ’/2-quart cylindrical
mold, preferably a char-
lotte, about 5Z2 inches
high and 6 'A inches in
diameter

10 cooked crepes 6/2 to 7
inches in diameter and 12
crepes 6 inches in diame-
ter

3 to 4 cups of cream fillings,
pages 201 to 203, one or
several varieties

Butter the mold. Cut the 10 large crepes in half. Line
the mold with them— their best sides against the
mold, their pointed ends meeting at the bottom center
of the mold, and the other ends folded down the
outside of the mold. Fill the mold with alternating
layers of stuffing and crepes. Fold the dangling ends
of the halved crSpes over the last layer of stuffing and
top with a final crepe.

2/2 cups of sauce, such as
tomato, cheese, or what-
ever will go with your
fillings

Set mold in a pan of boiling water and bake in lower
third of a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 40
minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Unmold on a but-
tered serving dish and cover with whatever sauce you
have chosen.

Crepes Farcies et Roulees

[Stuffed and Rolled French Pancakes]

Place a big spoonful of filling on the lower third of each crepe and roll
the crepes into cylinders.

Either saute in butter, remove to a hot serving dish and sprinkle with
parsley;

Or arrange in a shallow baking dish, cover with sauce, sprinkle with
cheese and brown slowly under a moderate broiler.

The shellfish or chicken fillings on page 202 are especially good for this
if you wish to be fairly elaborate. Both call for a good sauce veloute; in making
it, use half the sauce to mix with an equal amount of shellfish or chicken for
your filling. Thin out the rest with a bit of heavy cream, and use that for
coating the crepes.

196

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

COCKTAIL APPETIZERS

Hors d’ Oeuvres

For those who enjoy making pastries, here are a few good hot hors
d’oeuvres and one cold one. The series of canapes and tartlets starting on page
199, and the chaussons on page 204, can be made larger, and served as a first
course or luncheon dish.

AMUSE-GUEULES AU ROQUEFORT

[Roquefort Cheese Balls -Cold]

For about 24

Vi lb. Roquefort or blue
cheese

4 to 6 Tb softened butter
1V2 Tb chives or minced
green onion tops
1 Tb finely minced celery
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt if needed
>/ 8 tsp pepper

1 tsp cognac or a few drops
of Worcestershire sauce

Crush the cheese in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of the
butter and work it into a smooth paste. Beat in the
chives or onion tops, celery, seasonings, and cognac or
Worcestershire. If mixture is very stiff, beat in more
butter by fractions. Check seasoning carefully. Roll
into balls about l / 2 inch in diameter.

V2 cup fine, stale, white
breadcrumbs

2 Tb very finely minced
parsley

Toss bread crumbs and parsley in a plate. Roll the
cheese balls in the mixture so they are well covered.

Chill.

Serve as they are or pierced with a toothpick.

CHEESE BISCUITS

Bouchees, Galettes, Baguettes

Any of the following are more attractive when hot, but are quite good
served cold. They may be baked, then frozen, and reheated for 5 minutes or so
in a hot oven.

HORS D’OEUVRES

197

* GALETTES AU FROMAGE

[Cheese Wafers]

These featherweight wafers are often made of Swiss cheese, but you can
use other cheese or a mixture of cheeses if you wish, and thus employ leftovers.
The dough contains just enough flour to hold the gaieties together while they
bake, and / cup of flour is usually right for Swiss cheese. You will probably
need more if you are using soft cheeses, and should always bake one as a test.

For about 30 wafers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Z2 lb. (about 2 pressed-down
cups) grated Swiss cheese
or a mixture of cheeses
Zi lb. softened butter
% cup sifted all-purpose
flour, more if needed
!4 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Knead all ingredients together in a bowl or on a
board. The mixture will be sticky. Roll a i-tablespoon
bit into a ball in the palms of your hands, then
flatten it into a cake l / inch thick. Bake 10 to 15
minutes in hot oven to observe how it holds together;
it should spread slightly, puff lightly, and brown. If
it spreads out more than you wish, or is too fragile,
knead in J 4 CU P more flour and make another test.

Lightly buttered baking
sheets

1 egg beaten with J /2 tsp
water in a small bowl
A pastry brush
Z2 cup grated Swiss cheese
A cooling rack

When you are satisfied, form the rest of the dough
into cakes and place on baking sheets. Paint the tops
with beaten egg and top each with a pinch of grated
cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the galettes
have puffed, and browned lightly. Cool them on a
rack.

Galettes au Roquefort

[Roquefort Cheese Biscuits]

The dough for these galettes may also serve as a pastry dough for tarts and
turnovers.

For about 30 biscuits

Z4 lb. Roquefort or blue Mash the cheese in the bowl with a mixing fork. Beat
cheese in the butter, cream, and egg yolk. Then knead in

198

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

A 2 -quart mixing bowl
54 lb. softened butter
2 Tb whipping cream
1 egg yolk

i Vi cups sifted all-purpose
flour

the flour. Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and
chill until firm. Roll out 54 inch thick, cut into i/ 2 -
inch rounds, brush with egg, and bake as in the pre-
ceding recipe.

Galettes au Camembert

[Camembert Biscuits]

This dough may substitute for the usual pastry dough for tarts and turn-
overs.

For about 50 biscuits

6 to 8 ounces ripe Camem-
bert, Brie, or Liederkranz
cheese

A 2 -quart mixing bowl
3 ounces (/ stick) softened
butter
2 eggs
54 tsp salt
54 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups sifted all-purpose
flour

Scrape off the crusts and mash the cheese in the bowl
with a mixing fork. Blend in the butter, then beat in
the eggs and seasoning. Work in the flour and knead
everything together for a moment to make a smooth
and fairly supple dough. Knead in a tablespoon or so
more flour if dough seems too soft. Wrap in waxed
paper and chill until firm. Roll out 54 inch thick, cut
into 1 *4-inch rounds, and brush with egg as in the
preceding master recipe for cheese biscuits. Bake in
upper third of a preheated 350 -degree oven for about
15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

BOUCHEES PARMENTIER AU FROMAGE

[Potato Cheese Sticks]

Mashed potato gives these little cheese mouthfuls a nice, tender quality.
For about 60 pieces

54 lb. baking potatoes (2 Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in salted water
medium potatoes) until tender. Drain, and put through a ricer. You

should have 1 cup.

Stir the potatoes over moderate heat in a heavy-bot-
tomed saucepan for 2 to 3 minutes until they form

HORS D’OEUVRES

199

a light film on the bottom of the pan, indicating most
of their moisture has been evaporated.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour Beat the flour into the potatoes, then the butter by

4 ounces (1 stick) softened fractions, then the egg, cheese, and seasonings. Taste

butter for seasoning.

1 egg

4 ounces (1 cup) grated
Swiss cheese
Zs tsp white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt as needed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 lightly buttered baking With a fluted pastry tube J 4 inch in diameter, squeeze
sheets the mixture into 2%-inch lengths spaced Zi inch apart

onto the baking sheets.

Bake both sheets at a time in preheated oven for about
15 minutes, or until sticks are lightly browned.

CANAPES, BREAD CASES, AND
TARTLET SHELLS

Although Melba toast and crackers make good foundations for hot appe-
tizers, the following are more elegant. They may be used interchangeably,
all of them may be prepared ahead, and they may also be filled and browned,
then reheated. When bread is specified, use only a homemade type of white
bread widi body, not the soft squashy type. French recipes call for pain de mie.

Canapes — Croutons

[Plain or Sauteed Bread Rounds]

Plain, sliced, white bread works perfectly well for canapes when cut into
triangles or rounds, spread with a filling, then set in a preheated 425-degree
oven until die bread is toasted on the bottom and the filling has puffed and
browned on top. But if you wish to be more elaborate, proceed as follows :

Slice the bread / inch thick, and cut it into rounds 1/ to 2 inches in
diameter with a fluted cutter. Heat % inch of clarified butter (page 15) in a

200

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

skillet and saute the rounds on each side until very lightly browned, adding
more butter as necessary. (These are called croutons when they are triangular
and garnish an entree.)

Heap the filling (recipes are on following pages) upon each canape in a
! 4 -inch dome. Top with a pinch of grated cheese, and a drop of melted butter.
Arrange on a baking sheet and slip for a moment under a hot broiler to brown
the tops lightly. If prepared in advance, reheat in a 350-degree oven for several
minutes.

Croutes

[Toasted Bread Cases]

Slice off the crust. Cut the bread into i-inch slices, and the slices either
into i-inch cubes or, with a cutter, into rounds. Cut out a well in the center of
each. Tamp down the bread on the sides and bottom of the well with your
finger to make an open-topped case about / inch thick. Paint the tops and
sides with melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and brown lightly for 5
minutes in the upper third of a preheated 450-degree oven.

Place filling (following pages) in the hollow centers. Top with a pinch of
grated cheese and a drop of melted butter. Brown top of filling delicately under
a hot broiler for a moment. Reheat, if they have been prepared in advance, in a
350-degree oven for several minutes.

Tartelettes

[Little Pastry Shells]

Following the general procedure for pastry dough, and for pastry shells,
pages 139 to 146, roll the dough a bit less than '/ 8 inch thick. Line buttered
pastry molds / 2 inch deep and 2 to 1/ inches in diameter, or shallow muffin
tins, with the dough. Flute the rims with the back of a knife. Prick the bottom
of the dough with a fork. Fill each mold or cup with a round of buttered brown
paper and a small handful of dried beans; or set another mold on the pastry.
Either will keep the bottom from puffing up and the sides from collapsing.
Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until pastry will
hold its shape. Remove paper and beans or empty molds. Prick bottom of shells
again and return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until shells are just begin-
ning to color and to shrink from sides of molds. Remove shells and cool on a
rack.

HORS D’OEUVRES

201

Place a filling (following) in center. Top with a pinch of cheese and a
drop of melted butter. Arrange on a baking sheet and set in a 450-degree oven
for 5 minutes or so, until filling has browned on top. If done ahead, reheat
in a 350-degree oven for several minutes.

SPREADS AND FILLINGS

Farces

Use diese multipurpose cream fillings for the sauteed bread rounds, bread
cases or tartelettes. They may also garnish the cream puffs on page 177, the pas-
try turnovers on page 204, the croquettes on page 203, and the crepes on pages
190 to 195.

* FONDUE AU GRUYERE

[Cream Filling with Swiss Cheese]

For about 2 cups

2/2 Tb butter
3 Tb flour
A 2-quart saucepan
A wire whip

1/2 cups boiling milk or
boiling light cream
V2 tsp salt
14 tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Cook the butter and flour slowly together in the
saucepan for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat,
beat in the boiling milk or cream, then the seasonings.
Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Sauce should be very
thick. Taste for seasoning.

1 egg yolk

4 ounces (1 cup) coarsely
grated Swiss, or Swiss and
Parmesan, cheese

2 Tb butter

Remove sauce from heat. Place egg yolk in center of
sauce and immediately beat it vigorously in with the
wire whip. Beat for a moment to cool slightly, then
beat in the cheese, and finally the butter. Taste care-
fully for seasoning. If not used immediately, dot top
of sauce with butter to prevent a skin from forming.

202

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

VARIATIONS

Garlic and Wine Flavoring

/ Tb butter

1Z2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

1 small clove mashed garlic
Z2 cup dry white vermouth

Using a small enameled saucepan, cook the shallots
or onions, and garlic slowly in butter for a moment.
Add wine, raise heat, and boil down rapidly until
wine is reduced to Za cu P- Substitute this for Za cup
of milk in the master recipe.

Ham

Z2 cup minced ham or Cana-
dian bacon
Zz Tb butter

Saute the ham for a moment in butter. Substitute it
for half of the cheese in the master recipe.

Mushrooms or Chicken Livers

Za lb. diced mushrooms or
chicken livers
1 Tb butter
Salt and pepper

Saute the mushrooms or chicken livers in the butter.
Season to taste, and substitute for half of the cheese
in the master recipe.

* FONDUE DE CRUSTACES

[Cream Filling with Shellfish or Clams]
For about 2 cups

1V2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

2 Tb butter

iZa cups diced or flaked,
cooked or canned shell-
fish; or canned minced
clams

V3 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth; or

Using a 2-quart saucepan or a small enameled skillet,
cook the shallots or onions in the butter for a moment
over low heat. Stir in the shellfish or clams and cook
slowly for 2 minutes over low heat. Add the wine.
Cover and simmer for 1 minute. Uncover, raise heat,
and boil rapidly until liquid has almost evaporated.
Season to taste and stir in optional herbs.

HORS D’OEUVRES

203

3 to 4 Tb Madeira or
sherry

Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 Tb minced fresh
herbs such as tarragon or
chervil; or Vz tsp dried
tarragon or oregano

2 Tb butter
2/2 Tb flour

x cup boiling liquid (milk,
plus — if you have it— con-
centrated fish stock or
mushroom juice, or clam
juice)

Vs tsp pepper
Salt to taste

In a separate 2-quart saucepan, cook the butter and
flour slowly together for 2 minutes without coloring.
Off heat, beat in the boiling liquid, pepper, and salt
to taste. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute.

1 c gg yolk Beat egg yolk and cream in a bowl. Remove sauce

!4 cup whipping cream from heat and beat it into the bowl by tablespoons.

Return to saucepan and boil, stirring, for 1 minute.
Sauce should be very thick. Correct seasoning.

/t cup grated Swiss cheese Fold the previously prepared shellfish, then the cheese

into the sauce, and check seasoning again. If not used
immediately, dot top of sauce with butter to prevent a
skin from forming.

VARIATION

Fondue de Volatile

[Cream Filling with Chicken or Turkey]

Using exactly the same method and proportions as for the preceding
fondue de crustaces, substitute 1 cup of diced, cooked chicken, turkey, duck,
or game for the shellfish or clams.

CROQUETTES

Cremes Frites, Fondues, Cromesquis

Any of the preceding fondues, starting on page 201, may be chilled, cut
into squares or balls, rolled in egg and bread crumbs, then browned in deep

204

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

fat. The secret of doing them is that they need a double layer of egg and crumbs
which is firmly patted on to enclose the cream completely. It will then not
burst when fried. It is also advisable but not imperative to allow the crumbed
croquettes to stand an hour or more before frying, which sets the crumbs more
firmly. Fry only a few at a time so as not to lower the temperature of your
frying medium. Made larger, they also provide a delicious first course or lunch-
eon dish.

For about 30 pieces

2 cups cream filling, such as
cheese, shellfish, or chick-
en (preceding pages)

Buttered platter
Melted butter

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

2 eggs
iVt Tb oil

A pinch of salt and pepper

2 cups stale white bread
crumbs

Cut the chilled cream filling into i-inch cubes. One at a time, roll each cube in the
flour, dip in beaten egg being sure egg covers the cube completely, shake off excess
egg, then roll in the bread crumbs. Pat crumbs into place with the flat of a knife.
When all cubes have been done, roll each again in beaten egg. Then in crumbs; be
sure each cube is well covered all over with crumbs. If possible, let them stand for an
hour before frying.

Heat the frying fat or oil to 385 degrees and fry the croquettes, a few at a time, for
several minutes until lightly browned. Drain on absorbent paper and keep hot in a
35 )• degree oven. If they must be reheated, use a 400-degree oven.

Spread the filling in a smooth i-inch layer on the but-
tered platter. Film surface with melted butter. Chill
until firm.

Spread the flour in a plate.

Beat the eggs with the oil and seasoning until well
blended in a soup plate.

Spread the crumbs in a plate.

TURNOVERS

Chaussons

PETITS CHAUSSONS AU ROQUEFORT

[Pastry Turnovers with Roquefort Cheese]

These nice little mouthfuls are made of pastry dough rolled out and cut
into squares, ovals, or circles. In the center a small lump of filling is placed.

HORS D ’OEUVRES

205

The edges of the pastry are moistened with beaten egg, then either another
piece of pastry is placed on top, or the original pastry is folded over upon itself
to enclose the filling. They are then baked in a hot oven until they puff and
brown. In making them, avoid putting in so much filling that the pastry cannot
be sealed, and be sure to seal carefully so the turnovers do not burst while bak
ing. A ravioli stamp — a heavy metal ring about 2 inches in diameter with
serrated teeth — will seal 2 rounds of pastry most efficiently together.

Turnovers may enclose a variety of stuffings other than Roquefort, such
as the cream fillings on pages 201 to 203, or any of the liver, sausage, or veal
mixtures in the pate section, pages 565 to 569, or the ground meat mixtures in
the Beef, Lamb, or Veal sections. You can also use little pork sausages or store-
bought sausage meat. Chaussons may be made in any size or shape, from about
2/2 inches for appetizers to 12 inches for an entree.

For about 40 pieces

Z2 lb. Roquefort or blue Mash the cheese in the bowl with a mixing fork. Beat
cheese in the butter, then the egg yolks, kirsch or cognac,

A 3-quart mixing bowl pepper, and chives or onion tops.

A lb. (1 stick) softened but-
ter

2 egg yolks

1 to 2 Tb kirsch or cognac
i'A tsp pepper

2 Tb minced chives or
minced green onion tops

2 to 6 Tb whipping cream Beat in the cream by tablespoons but do not let the

mixture thin out too much. It should remain a fairly
thick paste. Correct seasoning.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle f 8 inch thick.
With a ravioli wheel or a knife, cut the dough into
214-inch squares.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1 egg beaten in a bowl with Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each square.

V2 tsp water One by one, paint a J 4 -inch border of beaten egg

A pastry brush around the edges of the pastry. Fold the pastry over on

Lightly buttered baking itself into a triangle. Press the edges together firmly
sheets with your fingers. Press them again making a design

with the tines of a fork. Place on a buttered baking

Chilled pastry dough made
from 4 cups of flour, page
J 39

20 6

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTREES AND LUNCHEON DISHES

sheet and continue with the rest of the turnovers. Paint
the tops with beaten egg. Make shallow crosshatch
lines with the point of a knife, and poke a 14 -inch
hole through the center of each pastry top so cooking
steam can escape.

Bake in upper third of preheated oven for about 15
minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned.

Turnovers may be baked, then reheated. Baked turn-
overs may also be frozen, then set in a 425-degree
oven for 5 minutes or so to thaw and heat through.

CHAPTER FIVE

FISH

Poisson

The french are magnificent with fish. Not only is fresh fish abundant
all year round, but the art of its cooking and saucing is accomplished with
great taste and skill.

This chapter includes two fine recipes for scallops, one for tuna or sword-
fish, three for lobster, and a group for mussels. But the main emphasis is on
the important and typically French method of poaching filets of fish in white
wine and serving them in a wine sauce, starting with the simplest type of sauce
and ending with several of the most famous of la grande cuisine. These last,
as you will observe, are fish veloutes (flour and butter roux simmered with the
fish cooking liquid), which are then enriched with cream and egg yolks. They
are all the same basic sauce described in detail on page 60 in the Sauce chapter.
Under numerous disguises and with various flavorings, this sauce appears
throughout almost every phase of French cookery.

A NOTE ON BUYING FISH

Fish must be fresh smelling and fresh tasting. If it is whole, its eyes are
bright and full, not filmed, opaque, and flat. Its gills are bright red, its flesh
firm to the touch, its skin fresh and glistening.

Frozen fish should be bought from a dealer who has the proper facilities
to ship and store it at a constant temperature of zero degrees. It should be solidly
frozen. A block of frozen juices at the bottom of the package is proof that it has
been thaw-ed and refrozen. Before cooking, defrost it in the refrigerator, or
under cold running water.

208

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

A beautifully sauced fish can well be considered as a separate course and
needs nothing but French bread and a good wine to go with it. If it is a main
course, include risotto or steamed rice for shellfish, boiled potatoes for other
fish. A salad or vegetable should come afterward, so as not to disturb the
harmony of the fish, the sauce, and the wine.

FISH FILETS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE

THE FISH FILETS

Most of the famous French dishes involving filet of sole center around
fish poached in white wine and coated with a lovely, creamy sauce made from
die poaching liquid. Although many types of American flat fish and fish
filets are called sole, they are usually flounder because the true sole is not a
native American fish. European sole is flown over to America, and can be
bought, but it is rarely seen in the usual American market. The sole’s ease of
skinning and filleting, and its close-grained yet delicate flesh make it ideal for
poaching. The best American substitutes for European sole are the Atlantic
winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, and the Pacific Petrale sole
or brill, Eopsetta jordani. Each of these is a common sole filet in America,
depending on where you live; it is doubtful, however, if their technical names
would be known at your fish market. Whiting or silver hake; pollack or Boston
blue-fish; summer flounder or fluke; dab; gray, lemon, or English sole; and
fresh-water trout are other types of fish you may fillet and poach. If you notice
that any of these flake during their poaching, they should be sauced and served
in the poaching dish. All of the fish mentioned in this paragraph, including
the true European sole, may be used interchangeably in any of the following
recipes.

* FILETS DE POISSON POCHES AU VIN BLANC

| Fish Filets Poached in White Wine]

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

WHITE WINE SAUCES

A buttered, 10- to 12-inch,
fireproof baiting and serv-
ing dish, 1/2 to 2 inches
deep

2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions
2/2 lbs. skinless and bone-
less sole or flounder filets
cut into serving pieces
Salt and pepper
i'/2 Tb butter cut into bits
i'A to 1/2 cups cold, white-
wine fish stock made from
heads, bones, and trim-
mings, page 1 14
OR l A cup dry white wine
or % cup dry white ver-
mouth plus A cup bottled
clam juice, and water
OR 1V2 cups wine and water
mixed

Buttered brown paper or
waxed paper (do not use
aluminum foil — it will
discolor the wine)

An enameled saucepan

209

Sprinkle half the shallots or onions in the bottom of
the dish. Season the filets lightly with salt and pepper
and arrange them in one slightly overlapping layer in
the dish. If filets are thin, they may be folded in half
so they make triangles. Sprinkle the filets with the
remaining shallots or onions, and dot with butter.
Pour in the cold liquid and enough water so fish is
barely covered.

Bring almost to the simmer on top of the stove. Lay
the buttered paper over the fish. Then place dish in
bottom third of preheated oven. Maintain liquid al-
most at the simmer for 8 to 12 minutes depending on
the thickness of the filets. The fish is done when a
fork pierces the flesh easily. Do not overcook ; the fish
should not be dry and flaky.

Place a cover over the dish and drain out all the cook-
ing liquid into an enameled saucepan.

(*) The fish is now poached and ready for saucing.
It may be covered and kept warm for a few minutes
over hot, but not simmering, water. Or set it aside,
covered with its piece of paper, and reheat later for a
few minutes over simmering water. Be very sure the
fish does not overcook as it reheats. Before saucing the
fish, drain off any liquid which may have accumulated
in the dish.

210

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

^ Filets de Poisson Bercy aux Champignons

[Fish Filets Poached in White Wine with Mushrooms]

Bercy is the simplest of the white-wine fish sauces. The poaching liquid
is thickened with beurre manie — a flour and butter paste — then enriched with
cream. This combination of fish, mushrooms, and cream sauce is an informal
version of sole bonne femme. Serve with it a white Burgundy, Graves, or
Traminer.

For 6 people

ft lb. or 3V2 cups sliced
fresh mushrooms
2 Tb butter
An enameled skillet
Vs tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Toss the mushrooms in hot butter over moderately
high heat for a minute or two without browning.
Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

2 / lbs. filets of sole or
flounder and the ingredi-
ents for poaching them in
white wine (see preceding
recipe)

A 2-quart enameled or stain-
less steel saucepan

Arrange the seasoned filets in a buttered baking dish
as described in the master recipe. Spread the mush-
rooms over them. Pour in the liquids, and poach the
fish. Then drain the poaching liquid into the sauce-
pan. Preheat broiler.

Rapidly boil down the poaching liquid until it has
reduced to i cup.

2.V2 Tb flour blended to a
paste with 3 Tb softened
butter

% to 1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice

Off heat, beat the flour and butter paste into the hot
liquid, then f z cup of the cream. Bring to the boil.
Thin out the sauce with additional tablespoons of
cream until it coats the spoon nicely. Season to taste
with salt, pepper, and drops of lemon juice.

ft cup grated Swiss cheese Spoon the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle on the cheese,

1 Tb butter cut into bits and dot with butter. Place dish 6 to 7 inches from a

hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to reheat fish and brown
top of sauce lightly. Serve as soon as possible.

(*) Dish may be prepared ahead and reheated as fol-
lows: After sprinkling on the cheese and butter, set

WHITE WINE SAUCES

2 1 1

aside. Before serving, reheat just to the simmer on top
of the stove, then run for a minute or two under a hot
broiler to brown the top of the sauce.

VARIATION

Filets de Poisson a la Bretonne

[Fish Filets Poached in White Wine and a Julienne of Vegetables]

This is the same recipe, but widt a julienne of carrots, onions, celery,
and mushrooms cooked in butter, then spread over the fish. It makes a pretty
dish with a delicious flavor.

Ingredients for the preced-
ing recipe, but use only !4
lb. of mushrooms, and the
following vegetables:

1 carrot

2 leeks, white part only; or
2 yellow onions

2 tender celery stalks

Cut the vegetables into julienne matchsticks i / 2
inches long and l / s inch across. Keep the mushrooms
separate. Cook the other vegetables slowly in butter
for about 20 minutes in a covered saucepan, until they
are tender but not browned. Then add the mushrooms
and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the vegetables over the seasoned fish filets,
cover with the liquids, and poach the fish. Make the
sauce as in the preceding recipe.

Filets de Poisson Gratines, d la Parisienne

[Fish Filets Poached in White Wine; Cream and Egg Yolk Sauce]

In the following recipe, the fish poaching liquid is cooked with a flour
and butter roux to make a fish veloute. The veloute is then combined with
cream and egg yolks to produce a delicious, velvety sauce called a parisienne.
Although it uses almost the same elements as the sauce Bercy, because of its
cooked roux and its egg yolks, sauce parisienne is far more subtle in taste and
texture. It is the basis for all the great fish sauces described later. When the
sauce is to be used for a gratin, as in this recipe, the whole dish may be prepared
ahead of time, and reheated later. Before the fish is sauced, it may be surrounded
with various cooked shellfish as suggested at the end of the recipe. Serve with
this a chilled white Burgundy, or an excellent white Graves.

For 6 people

2X2

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

2Z2 lbs. sole or flounder fi- Poach the fish in white wine as described in the master

lets poached in white recipe. Drain the poaching liquid into an enameled

wine, page 208 saucepan and rapidly boil it down until it has reduced

to 1 cup.

Sauce Parisienne ( 2/1 cups)

A 2-quart, heavy-bottomed,
enameled or stainless steel
saucepan

3 Tb butter

4 Tb flour

A wooden spatula or spoon
The boiling fish-poaching
liquid
} A cup milk
A wire whip

Melt the butter, blend in the flour, and cook slowly,
stirring, until they foam and froth together for 2
minutes without coloring. Off heat, beat in the boiling
liquid, then the milk. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute.
Sauce will be very thick.

Preheat broiler.

2 egg yolks
Z2 cup whipping cream
A 2-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip
A wooden spoon
More cream as needed
Salt and white pepper
Lemon juice

Blend the yolks and cream in the mixing bowl. Beat
in driblets of hot sauce until a cup has been added.
Beat in the rest of the hot sauce in a thin stream.
Return the sauce to the pan. Set over moderately high
heat and stir with wooden spoon, reaching all over
the bottom of the pan, until the sauce comes to the
boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Thin out with addi-
tional spoonfuls of cream until the sauce coats the
spoon nicely. Season carefully to taste with salt, pep-
per, and drops of lemon juice. Strain.

2 Tb grated Swiss cheese, to
help brown top of sauce
1 Tb butter cut into bits

Spoon the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with cheese,
and dot with butter.

(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside.

Just before serving, reheat slowly almost to simmer
on top of the stove. Run under hot broiler to brown
the top of the sauce.

SHELLFISH GARNITURES

Before saucing the fish in the preceding or following recipes, you may
surround it with one or various types of cooked shellfish meat. Their cooking

WHITE WINE SAUCES

213

juices are added to reduce with the liquid in which your fish filets were
poached, giving it even more character.

The following brief directions include the cooking of the raw shellfish,
and then the warming of the meat in butter and seasonings to give it additional
flavor. If you are using previously cooked or canned meat, it will need only
the final warming in butter.

Lobster

Steam the lobster in wine and aromatic flavorings as described at the
beginning of the lobster Thermidor recipe on page 221. When the lobster is
cool, remove the meat and dice or slice it. Saute the meat for 2 to 3 minutes in
2 tablespoons of hot butter, 1 tablespoon of minced shallots or green onions,
and salt and pepper. Stir in 3 tablespoons of dry white wine or dry white ver-
mouth and boil for 1 minute until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.
The lobster is now ready to be used.

Shrimp

Follow the preceding directions for lobster, but simmer the whole, un-
peeled shrimp for 5 minutes only. Allow them to cool in the cooking liquid.
Then peel them, and warm them in butter, seasonings, and wine.

Ecrevisses

These fresh-water shellfish are also called crayfish or crawfish, depending
on what part of the country you come from. They look exactly like baby lobsters
but are only 4 to 5 inches long. Prepare them like the shrimps in the preceding
directions. Only the tail meat is used as a garnish. The chests and the rest of the
shells may be ground up to make a shellfish butter, page 104.

Shelled Fresh Oysters

Poach the oysters at just below the simmer for 3 or 4 minutes in their
natural juices until they swell. Drain them, and they are ready to use.

Mussels

Scrub and soak 1 quart of fresh mussels as directed on page 226. Then
place them in a covered enameled or stainless steel saucepan with / cup of dry
white wine or >/ 3 cup of dry white vermouth, 3 tablespoons of minced shallot
or green onion, 3 parsley sprigs, and a pinch of pepper. Boil rapidly for about

214

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

5 minutes, tossing several times, until the shells swing open. Remove the mussels
from their shells, and they are ready to use.

SOME CLASSIC COMBINATIONS

The same cream and egg-yolk fish sauce described in the recipe for filets
de poisson gratifies a la parisienne on page 21 1 becomes even more rich and
velvety if a fairly large quantity of butter is beaten into it just before serving.
The more you beat in, the more delicious the sauce becomes. But as in all
heavily buttered sauces, it cannot be kept warm once buttered or the butter will
liquefy and either thin out the sauce, or rise up and float on top. Here in outline
are some traditional combinations of poached fish filets and various shellfish
garnitures to give you an idea of what you can do. You can, of course, make up
your own selection. In each case, in the following recipes, die sauce takes on the
name of the dish. Serve your finest white Burgundy with any of these, and they
should be considered a separate course, accompanied only by hot French bread.

* SOLE A LA DIEPPOISE

[Fish Filets with Mussels and Shrimp]

This recipe is the model for the variations to follow.
For 6 people

Poaching the fish

2Z2 lbs. sole or flounder fi-
lets poached in white
wine, page 208
r quart fresh mussels
steamed in white wine,
page 213

14 lb. shelled shrimp
warmed in butter and
seasonings, page 213

Arrange the poached fish filets on a lightly buttered
serving platter and surround them with the mussels
and shrimp. Just before serving, cover the platter and
reheat the fish for a few minutes over simmering
water. Drain off any accumulated liquid before
napping the fish with the following sauce:

For 2/ z cups of sauce

A 2 14-quart enameled sauce-
pan

3 Tb butter

Following the technique
212, cook the flour and
they foam and froth for

for sauce parisienne on page
butter slowly together until
2 minutes. Off heat, beat in

WHITE WINE SAUCES

2I 5

4 Tb flour

The fish-poaching and mus-
sel-steaming liquids com-
bined and boiled down to
1 cup

l A cup milk

2 egg yolks and V2 cup
whipping cream blended
in a 2-quart mixing bowl

Salt and pepper

Drops of lemon juice

the hot fish cooking liquid, then the milk. Boil 1
minute. Beat the hot sauce by droplets into the yolks
and cream. Return mixture to saucepan and boil,
stirring, for 1 minute. Thin out with more cream if
necessary, and correct seasoning. Strain. Film top of
sauce with a tablespoon of melted butter if not to be
served immediately.

4 to 16 Tb softened butter
(6 to 8 Tb is usual)

Just before serving the fish, bring the sauce to the
simmer. Then remove it from heat and beat in the
butter 1 tablespoon at a time.

Final assembly

6 whole cooked shrimp in
their shells

6 to 12 thin slices of canned
truffles

Immediately spoon the sauce over the hot fish and
shellfish. Decorate with the shrimp and truffles and
serve.

VARIATIONS

The following are all constructed in exactly the same manner as the
preceding sole a la dieppoise. Directions for poaching the fish are on page 208;
for the shellfish garnitures, on page 212.

Sole a la Normande

[Fish Filets with Shellfish and Mushrooms]

Follow the preceding recipe, but to the garniture add oysters, mushrooms,
and ecrevisses, if available. Decorate the sauced fish with whole shrimps or
ecrevisses, truffle slices, and croutons (triangles of white bread sauteed in
butter), page 199.

Sole W dlewska

[Fish Filets with Shellfish and Truffles]

Same as the sole a la dieppoise, but the filets are garnished with ecrevisses
or shrimp, and lobster meat, and instead of beating plain butter into the sauce,

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

216

use the shellfish butter on page 104. Decorate the sauced fish with truffle slices,
and cooked lobster claws or whole shrimp.

Sole a la Nantua

[Fish Filets with ficrevisses]

Same as die sole a la dieppoise, but the fish is garnished with ccrevisscs,
and shellfish butter, page 104, rather than plain butter is beaten into the sauce.

Sole Bonne Femme

[Fish Filets with Mushrooms]

Poach the fish filets in white wine and sliced mushrooms as for the sole
Bercy on page 210. Make the sauce following the recipe for the sole a la diep-
poise. Garnish the sauced fish with 6 fluted mushroom caps, page 510, which
have been stewed in butter and lemon juice, page 51 1.

Filets de Sole Farcis

[Stuffed Fish Filets]

Make 1 cup of the fish quenelle mixture on page 185. Mix into it [4 cup of
finely diced mushroom duxelles, page 515, and 2 to 3 tablespoons additional
whipping cream. Place a spoonful in the center of each seasoned, raw filet,
and fold or roll the filet to enclose the filling. Tie with white string. Poach,
garnish, and sauce the filets following any of the preceding suggestions.

COOUILLES ST. JACQUES A LA PARISIENNE

[Scallops and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce]

Exactly die same sauce parisienne as that for the poached fish filets in
the preceding recipes is delicious with scallops gratineed in their shells. This
dish may be prepared ahead, and gratineed just before serving. A fine, chilled
white Burgundy or a very good white Graves would go well with it. Scallops
are usually served as a first course, or as a light luncheon dish.

For 6 scallop shells

SCALLOPS

2I 7

Cooking the scallops

1 cup dry white wine or % Simmer the wine and flavorings for 5 minutes,
cup dry white vermouth

Z2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
/ bay leaf

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

A 2-quart enameled or stain-
less steel saucepan

1 lh. washed scallops Add the scallops and mushrooms to the wine, and

Z2 lb. sliced fresh mush- pour in enough water barely to cover ingredients,
rooms Bring to the simmer. Cover, and simmer slowly for

5 minutes. Remove scallops and mushrooms with a
slotted spoon, and set aside in a bowl.

The sauce

Rapidly boil down the cooking liquid until it has re-
duced to 1 cup.

A 2-quart enameled or stain-
less steel saucepan

3 Tb butter

4 Tb flour
% cup milk
2 egg yolks

Zi cup whipping cream,
more if needed
Salt and pepper
Drops of lemon juice

Following the directions in sauce parisienne, page 212,
cook the butter and flour slowly together for 2
minutes. Off heat, blend in the boiling cooking liquid,
then the milk. Boil 1 minute. Blend the egg yolks and
cream in a bowl, then beat the hot sauce into them by
driblets. Return the sauce to the pan and boil, stirring,
for 1 minute. Thin out with more cream if necessary.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Strain.

Final assembly

6 scallop shells or pyrex or Cut the scallops into crosswise pieces about % inch
porcelain shells of Zs cup thick,
capacity

Z2 Tb butter Blend two thirds of the sauce with the scallops and

6 Tb grated Swiss cheese mushrooms. Butter the shells. Spoon the scallops and

mushrooms into them, and cover with the rest of the

2 1 8

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

1V2 Tb butter cut into 6 sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. Ar-
pieces range the shells on a broiling pan.

(*) Set aside or refrigerate until ready to gratine.

Fifteen minutes before serving, set the scallops 8 to 9
inches under a moderately hot broiler to heat through
gradually, and to brown the top of the sauce. Serve as
soon as possible.

TWO RECIPES FROM PROVENCE

COQUILLES ST. JACQUES A LA PROVENQALE

[Scallops Gratineed with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs]

This good recipe may be prepared in advance and gratineed just before
serving. The following proportions are sufficient for a first course. Double
them for a main course. Serve a chilled rose, or a dry white wine such as cotes
de Provence.

For 6 scallop shells

Vi cup minced yellow on-
ions

1 Tb butter

1V2 Tb minced shallot or
green onions
1 clove minced garlic

1V2 lbs. washed scallops
Salt and pepper

1 cup sifted flour in a dish

2 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil

A 10-inch enameled skillet

Cook the onions slowly in butter in a small saucepan
for 5 minutes or so, until tender and translucent but
not browned. Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic,
and cook slowly for 1 minute more. Set aside.

Dry the scallops and cut into slices '/ inch thick. Just
before cooking, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in
flour, and shake off excess flour.

Saute the scallops quickly in very hot butter and oil
for 2 minutes to brown them lightly.

2 /i cup dry white wine, or V2
cup dry white vermouth
and 3 Tb water
Vi bay leaf
Vs tsp thyme

Pour the wine, or the vermouth and water, into the
skillet with the scallops. Add the herbs and the cooked
onion mixture. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5
minutes. Then uncover, and if necessary boil down
the sauce rapidly for a minute until it is lightly
thickened. Correct seasoning, and discard bay leaf.

TUNA AND SWORDFISH

219

6 buttered scallop shells, or
porcelain or pyrex shells,
of 'A cup capacity
'A cup grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb butter cut into 6 pieces

Spoon the scallops and sauce into the shells. Sprinkle
with cheese and dot with butter.

(*) Set aside or refrigerate until ready to gratini.

Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler
for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through, and to brown the
cheese lightly.

THON A LA PROVEN CALL

[Tuna or Swordfish Steaks with Wine, Tomatoes, and Herbs]

Tomatoes, wine, herbs, and garlic are a good contrast to tuna or swordfish,
and this dish can be served either hot or cold. Boiled potatoes and green beans
would go well, and a chilled rose wine, or a dry white such as cotes de Pro-
vence, or Riesling.

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. fresh tuna or sword-
fish cut into steaks % inch
thick (if fish is frozen,
thaw it)

A 9- by 14- inch pyrex bak-
ing dish about 2V2 inches
deep

1 tsp salt

2 Tb lemon juice

6 Tb olive oil

Vs tsp pepper

Remove skin, and cut fish steaks into serving pieces.
Blend salt and lemon juice in baking dish, then beat
in the oil and pepper. Arrange the fish in the dish, and
baste with the marinade. Cover with waxed paper and
marinate 1'/ to 2 hours, turning and basting the fish
with the marinade several times. Drain the fish and
dry it thoroughly on paper towels. Discard the
marinade, which will be strong and fishy.

3 to 4 Tb olive oil, more if
needed
A skillet

Saute the fish rapidly in very hot olive oil for a
minute or two on each side to brown lightly. Rear-
range the fish in the baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 cup minced yellow onions Cook the onions slowly in the skillet for 5 minutes or

3 lbs. fresh, ripe, red toma- so until tender but not browned. Stir in the tomato

220

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

toes peeled, seeded, juiced,
and chopped, page 505
2 cloves mashed garlic
V2 tsp oregano
Va tsp thyme
Za tsp salt
Va tsp pepper

1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth

A serving platter

1 to 2 Tb tomato paste for
added flavor and color
Optional: 1 Tb meat glaze,
page no, for depth of fla-
vor

pulp, garlic, seasonings, and herbs. Cover skillet and
cook slowly for 5 minutes. Correct seasoning, and
spread the tomato mixture over the fish.

Place a cover or aluminum foil over the baking dish
and bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Then set
in lower third of preheated oven and bake for 15
minutes. Pour in the wine and bake for 30 minutes
more, turning oven down to 325 degrees as soon as
fish is simmering.

Remove fish to a serving platter, scraping the sauce
off the fish and back into the baking dish. Keep fish
warm for about 5 minutes while finishing the sauce.

Boil down the sauce over high heat until it has re-
duced to about 2 cups. Stir in the tomato paste and
optional meat glaze. Simmer for a moment, and cor-
rect seasoning.

1 Tb flour blended to a paste

with 1 Tb softened butter

2 to 3 Tb chopped parsley

Off heat, beat in the flour and butter paste, and bring
again to the simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped
parsley, spoon the sauce over the fish, and serve.

( # ) Fish may be set aside, then covered and reheated
in the oven, but be careful not to overcook it.

Other Fish— Green cod or coalfish, ocean pollack, and halibut may be
cooked in the same way. They need no marinating and require only 20 to 30
minutes of baking.

TWO FAMOUS LOBSTER DISHES

A NOTE ON DEALING WITH LIVE LOBSTERS
If you object to steaming or splitting a live lobster, it may be killed almost
instantly just before cooking if you plunge the point of a knife into die head
between the eyes, or sever the spinal cord by making a small incision in the
back of the shell at the juncture of the chest and the tail.

LOBSTER

221

HOMARD THERM1D0R

[Lobster Thermidor- Gratineed in its Shell]

So many steps are involved in the preparation of a really splendid lobster
Thermidor, no wonder it costs a fortune in any restaurant! But it is not a
particularly difficult dish to execute, and everything may be prepared in ad-
vance and heated up just before serving. This is an especially attractive recipe
for lobster Thermidor because the meat is stirred in hot butter before it is
sauced, and turns a rosy red. Buy lobsters weighing a good 2 pounds each, so
the shells will be large enough to hold the filling.

For 6 people

Steaming the lobsters

A covered, enameled or
stainless steel kettle with
tight-fitting cover
3 cups dry white wine (or 2
cups dry white vermouth)
and 2 cups water
A large onion, a medium
carrot, and a celery stalk,
all thinly sliced
6 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
!4 tsp thyme
6 peppercorns

1 Tb fresh or dried tarragon
3 live lobsters, 2 lbs. each

Simmer wine, water, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings
in the kettle for 15 minutes. Then bring to a rolling
boil and add the live lobsters. Cover and boil for about
20 minutes. The lobsters are done when they are
bright red and the long head-feelers can be pulled
from the sockets fairly easily.

Vz lb. sliced fresh mush-
rooms
1 Tb butter
1 tsp lemon juice
!4 tsp salt

A covered enameled or
stainless steel saucepan

While the lobsters are steaming, stew the mushrooms
slowly in the covered saucepan with the butter, lemon
juice, and salt for 10 minutes.

The sauce

When the lobsters are done, remove them from the
kettle. Pour the mushroom cooking juices into the
lobster steaming juices in the kettle and boil down
rapidly until liquid has reduced to about 2% cups.

222

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

A 4-cup enameled or stain-
less steel saucepan

5 Tb butter

6 Tb flour

A 1 '/2-quart, heavy-bot-

tomed, enameled or stain-
less steel saucepan

A wooden spoon

A wire whip

1 Tb cream

A 3-quart mixing bowl

1 Tb dry mustard

2 egg yolks

Zi cup whipping cream

Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 to 6 Tb more whipping
cream

Strain into the saucepan and bring to the simmer.

Cook the butter and flour slowly together in the
second saucepan for 2 minutes without browning. Off
heat, beat in the simmering lobster-cooking liquid.
Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Set aside. Film top of
sauce with the cream.

Split the lobsters in half lengthwise, keeping the shell
halves intact. Discard sand sacks in the heads, and the
intestinal tubes. Rub lobster coral and green matter
through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl, and blend
into it the mustard, egg yolks, cream, and pepper.
Beat the sauce into this mixture by driblets.

Return the sauce to the pan and, stirring with a
wooden spoon, bring it to the boil and boil slowly for
2 minutes. Thin out with tablespoons of cream. Sauce
should be thick enough to coat a spoon fairly heavily.
Taste carefully for seasoning. Set aside, top filmed
with a spoonful of cream.

Sauteing the lobster meat

Remove the meat from the lobster tails and claws,
and cut it into %-inch cubes.

A 12-inch enameled or
stainless steel skillet
4 Tb butter
Zi cup cognac

Set the skillet with the butter over moderate heat.
When the butter foam begins to subside, stir in the
lobster meat and saute, stirring slowly, for about 5
minutes until the meat has turned a rosy color. Pour
in the cognac and boil for a minute or two, shaking
the skillet, until the liquid has reduced by half.

Final assembly

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Fold the cooked mushrooms and two thirds of the
sauce into the skillet with the lobster meat.

LOBSTER

223

A shallow roasting pan or
fireproof serving platter
Zz cup grated Parmesan or
Swiss cheese
2 Tb blitter cut into bits

Arrange the split lobster shells in the roasting pan.
Heap the lobster mixture into the shells; cover with
the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and dot
with butter.

( # ) May be prepared ahead up to this point and re-
frigerated.

Place in upper third of 425-degree oven for 10 to 15
minutes, until lobster is bubbling and the top of the
sauce is nicely browned. Serve immediately on a plat-
ter or serving plates.

VARIATION

Homard aux Aromates

[Lobster Steamed in Wine with Herb Sauce]

This is not a variation of lobster Thermidor at all, but it fits well into

this niche.

Ingredients for steaming 3
lobsters in wine, herbs,
and aromatic vegetables as
in the preceding Thermi-
dor recipe

1V2 Tb flour blended to a
paste with 1V2 Tb softened
butter

About 1 cup of whipping
cream

3 to 4 Tb fresh minced green
herbs: parsley, chervil,

and tarragon, or parsley
only

HOMARD A L’AMERICAINE

[Lobster Simmered with Wine, Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs]

Homard a l’ americaine is live lobster chopped into serving pieces, sauteed
in oil until the shells turn red, then flamed in cognac, and simmered with wine,

Steam the lobsters for about 20 minutes as described
in the preceding recipe. Remove them. Rapidly boil
down their cooking liquid until it has reduced to 2
cups. The sliced carrots and onions need not be re-
moved.

Off heat, beat in the flour and butter paste. Then
bring to the boil for 15 seconds. Reduce to the simmer
and stir in the cream by tablespoons until the sauce
is the consistency of a light cream soup. Correct
seasoning and stir in the herbs.

Split the lobsters in two, lengthwise. Remove stomach
sacks in heads and intestinal tubes. Arrange the lob-
sters in a serving dish, pour the sauce over them, and
serve.

1

224

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

aromatic vegetables, herbs, and tomatoes. In France, unless you are at a formal
dinner, the meat is left in the shells and guests dig in, flanked by finger bowl
and napkin. We have noticed that many Americans prefer that the meat be
removed from the shells before the dish is served, which is too bad, as it makes
more work for the cook.

The origin of homard a Vamericaine is a subject for discussion. Some
authorities call it a l artnoricaine , after the ancient province of Armorique in
Brittany where lobsters grow. Others say artnoricaine is nonsense because the
tomato flavoring is quite untypical of Brittany and that the recipe is far more
likely the product of a Paris chef with Provencal inclinations who titled his
dish after an American client, or after the exotic origins of the tomato. In any
case it is a splendid creation for fresh lobster, and though we are not partial to
frozen lobster tails, it is one of the best ways we know to cook them.

Risotto simmered in fish stock, or steamed rice, and a dry white wine with
body such as Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, or Graves would make fine ac-
companiments.

For 6 people

Three i '/2-lb. live lobsters
(or 6 frozen lobster tails
partially defrosted and
cut in half lengthwise)

Split the lobsters in two lengthwise. Remove stomach
sacks (in the head) and intestinal tubes. Reserve coral
and green matter. Remove claws and joints and crack
them. Separate tails from chests.

3 Tb olive oil Heat the oil in the skillet until it is very hot but not

A heavy 12-inch enameled smoking. Add the lobster pieces, meat-side down, and
skillet or casserole saute for several minutes, turning them, until the

shells are bright red. Remove lobster to a side dish.

i medium carrot, finely
diced

i medium onion, finely
diced

Stir in the diced carrot and onion, and cook slowly
for 5 minutes or until almost tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Salt and pepper
3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
1 clove mashed garlic

Season the lobster, return it to the skillet, and add the
shallots or green onions, and the garlic. With the skil-
let over moderate heat, pour in the cognac. Avert your
face and ignite the cognac with a lighted match and

LOBSTER

225

Vi cup cognac

1 lb. fresh, ripe, tomatoes,
peeled, seeded, juiced, and
chopped, page 505

2 Tb tomato paste

1 cup fish stock, page 114, or
Vi cup bottled clam juice

1V2 cups dry white wine or
1 cup dry white vermouth

Optional: V2 Tb meat glaze,
page no

2 Tb chopped parsley

1 Tb fresh tarragon or 1 tsp
dried tarragon

shake the skillet slowly until the flames have subsided.
Stir in all the ingredients to the left. Bring to the
simmer on top of the stove. Cover and place in middle
level of preheated oven. Regulate heat so lobster sim-
mers quietly for 20 minutes.

6 Tb softened butter
The lobster coral and green
matter

A 3-quart mixing bowl

While the lobster is simmering, force the lobster coral
and green matter with the butter through a fine sieve
into the mixing bowl and set aside.

When the lobster is done, remove it to a side dish.
Take the meat out of the shells if you wish. Set skillet
with its cooking liquids over high heat and boil down
rapidly until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
It will acquire more body later when the butter and
coral mixture is added. Taste very carefully for season-
ing.

( # ) Recipe may be completed to this point, and fin-
ished later.

Return the lobster to the sauce and bring to the sim-
mer to reheat the lobster. Beat a cupful of hot sauce by
driblets into the coral and butter mixture, then pour
the mixture into the skillet with the lobster. Shake
and swirl the skillet over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes
to poach the coral and green matter, but do not bring
the sauce near the simmer again.

A ring of risotto or steamed Arrange the lobster and sauce in the rice ring, decorate
rice with herbs, and serve immediately.

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley, or
parsley and fresh tarragon

226

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

MUSSELS

Monies

Mussels, with their long, oval, blue-black shells and delicious pink-orange
flesh are often called the poor man’s oyster. Clinging to rocks and piers along
die seacoasts everywhere, they can be had for the picking at low tide. If you
are gathering mussels yourself, take them only from places washed by clear,
clean, sea water.

SCRUBBING AND SOAKING MUSSELS

Before they can be cooked, mussels must have a rather long and careful
cleaning process to remove all possible sand from their interiors, and to rid
the shells of any slime and dirt which might spoil the excellent juices they
render as they steam open. Discard any mussels that are not firmly closed, or
which feel lighter in weight than the rest. Discard also any too-heavy mussels,
as they may be nothing but sand enclosed between two mussel shells. Scrub
each mussel very clean with a rough brush under running water. Then with a
small knife, scrape off the tuft of hairs, or beard, which protrudes from be-
tween one side of the closed shell halves. Set the mussels in a basin or bucket of
fresh water for an hour or two so they will disgorge their sand and also lose a
bit of their saltiness. Lift the mussels out of the water into a colander, wash and
drain them again, and they are ready to cook.

Note: Some cooks add flour to the soaking water on the theory that while
the mussels eat the flour and become fatter and more succulent, they are at the
same time disgorging their sand more thoroughly. Use J/ 3 cup of flour for each
2 quarts of water, beating the flour and a bit of water with a whip first, to mix
it thoroughly. Then, after soaking the mussels, lift them into a colander, and
rinse them in cold water.

CANNED MUSSELS

Beware of sand if you are using canned mussels. If there is any sand at
all in the juices at the bottom of the can, soak the mussels in several changes of
cold water. Eat one, and if it is sandy, continue washing the mussels. Good
quality canned mussels may be substituted for fresh mussels in all but the first
two of the following recipes; the canned juices may be used as stock for your
sauce. Simmer the juices with a bit of white wine or vermouth, and fill out the
quantity of stock called for in your recipe with boiling milk.

MUSSELS

227

MOULES A LA MARINIERE • 7

[Fresh Mussels Steamed Open in Wine and Flavorings]

Here is the simplest version of this most typical of French methods for
cooking mussels. They are steamed open in a big pot with wine and flavorings,
and it takes only about 5 minutes. Then the mussels, shells and all, are dipped
out into soup plates, and the cooking liquor is poured over them. Each guest
removes the mussels one by one from their shells with fingers or a fork and
discards the shells into a side dish. In addition to shell dish and fork, provide
your guests with a soupspoon for drinking up the mussel juices, a big napkin,
and a finger bowl. Along with the mussels serve French bread, butter, and a
chilled, light, dry white wine such as Muscadet, dry Graves, or one of the
Pouillys.

For 6 to 8 people

2 cups of light, dry white
wine or i cup dry white
vermouth

An 8- to 10-quart enameled
kettle with cover
'/2 cup minced shallots, or
green onions, or very
finely minced onions
8 parsley sprigs
Z2 bay leaf
!4 tsp thyme
Vs tsp pepper
6 Tb butter

Bring the wine to the boil in the kettle with the rest
of the ingredients listed. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes to
evaporate its alcohol and to reduce its volume slightly.

6 quarts scrubbed, soaked Add the mussels to the kettle. Cover tightly and boil
mussels, page 226 quickly over high heat. Frequently grasp the kettle

with both hands, your thumbs clamped to the cover,
and toss the mussels in the kettle with an up and
down slightly jerky motion so the mussels will change
levels and cook evenly. In about 5 minutes the shells
will swing open and the mussels are done.

Z2 cup roughly chopped
parsley

With a big skimmer, dip the mussels into wide soup
plates. Allow the cooking liquid to settle for a moment
so any sand will sink to the bottom. Then ladle the
liquid over the mussels, sprinkle with parsley and
serve immediately.

228

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

MOULES A LA MARINIERE • II

[Mussels Steamed with Wine, Flavorings, and Bread Crumbs]

In this quite different method, bread crumbs cook with the mussels and
give a liaison to the sauce. Here you must be sure that the mussels are most
carefully washed and soaked so there will be no sand to mix itself with the
crumbs.

For 6 to 8 people

3 cups finely minced onions
V 4 lb. (8 Tb) butter
An 8- to 10-quart enameled
kettle with cover

Cook the onions slowly in the butter for about io
minutes, until they are tender and translucent but not
browned.

2 cups light, dry white wine
or i cup dry white ver-
mouth

i Vi cups fine, dry, white
bread crumbs from home-
made type of bread
Zi cup chopped parsley
Vs tsp pepper
i bay leaf
!4 tsp thyme

Stir in all the ingredients at the left, cover the kettle,
and simmer very slowly for io minutes, stirring oc-
casionally, and making sure the mixture does not
scorch. Remove bay leaf.

6 quarts scrubbed, soaked
mussels, page 226
Vi cup chopped parsley

Add the mussels. Cover and toss them in the kettle.
Set over high heat, tossing frequently until the mussel
shells swing open. Ladle the mussels and sauce into
soup plates, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

MOULES AU BEURRE D’ESCARGOT
MOULES A LA PROVEN^ ALE

[Mussels on the Half Shell, Gratineed ]

These are delicious as a first course. Serve them with French bread and a
rather strong, dry, white wine such as Macon, cotes de Provence, white
Chianti, or a domestic equivalent.

For 4 to 6 people

MUSSELS

229

48 extra large, scrubbed and For this recipe you may steam the mussels open as for
soaked mussels, page 226 monies a la mariniire 1 , preceding, or you may open

the raw mussels with a knife. We prefer the latter
method. When the mussels are open, discard the
empty shell halves. Arrange the remaining half shells
holding the mussels in a shallow baking and serving
dish, or individual fireproof dishes.

6 ounces or i'/z sticks of
softened butter
A 2-quart mixing bowl
A wooden spoon
3 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions
1 to 3 cloves mashed garlic,
depending on your love
of garlic

*4 cup minced parsley
Z2 cup fine, white, dry bread
crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Beat the butter in the mixing bowl until it is light and
creamy. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and taste
for seasoning. Spread a bit of the mixture over each
mussel.

(*) May be prepared ahead of time to this point.
Cover the mussels with waxed paper and refrigerate.

About 2 or 3 minutes before serving, run the mussels
under a very hot broiler until the butter is bubbling in
the shells and the crumbs have browned lightly.
Serve immediately.

SALADE DE MOULES

[Mussels Marinated in Oil and Herbs]

2 cups of cooked, fresh Steam fresh mussels open as directed in monies a la
mussels (or canned or mariniere I, page 227. Discard shells,
frozen mussels)

4 Tb light olive oil or salad
oil

1 Tb dry white vermouth
and 1 Tb lemon juice

2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions

3 Tb minced parsley or a
mixture of fresh green
herbs

Pinch of pepper

Toss the mussels in a bowl with the ingredients at
the left and allow them to marinate half an hour be-
fore serving. They may be served just as they are, or
you may drain them and fold into them half a cup of
mayonnaise, page 87. Place them in a bowl or indi
vidual shells.

230

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

* MOULES EN SAUCE
MOUCLADES

MOULES A LA POULETTE
MOULES A LA BEARN AISE

[Sauced Mussels Served in Scallop Shells]

This is a more formal recipe for mussels. They are steamed open with
wine and flavorings, then a rich, creamy, buttery sauce is made with their
cooking liquid. This is the same heavily buttered sauce parisienne found on
page 214, but with a quite different flavor. If the mussels are served on the half
shell, as they often are in Brittany, they are called moucladcs. We have sug-
gested in the following recipe that they be shelled, sauced, and served in scallop
shells; done this way they may be prepared ahead of time. There are naturally
many versions and flavorings for mussels served in a sauce. For instance, if you
omitted the curry, garlic, and fennel in the recipe, and substituted l / 2 cup of
mushroom stems, your mussel dish would be a la poulette. Also, if you omitted
the special flavorings, and the cream, egg yolks, and butter enrichment, then
stirred a cup of bearnaise sauce into your veloute just before serving, you would
have moules a la bearnaise.

For 6 people

5 to 6 quarts scrubbed,
soaked mussels, page 226.

(A 2-hour soaking is ad-
visable here to rid the
mussels of as much salt as
possible)

The wine and flavoring for
moules a la mariniere
1, page 227, plus:

V4 tsp curry powder
A pinch of fennel
1 clove mashed garlic

3 Tb butter Stir the butter and flour over low heat in the sauce-

4 Tb flour pan until they foam and froth together for 2 minutes

A 2-quart, heavy-bottomed without coloring. Remove roux from heat.

enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon

Steam the mussels open in wine and flavorings, fol-
lowing the method for moules d la mariniere I, page
227. Shell the mussels and place them in a bowl. Strain
the mussel cooking liquor into an enameled saucepan
and rapidly boil it down over high heat to concentrate
its flavor. Taste it frequently as it boils; you may find
that if you reduce it too much, the salt content will be
overpowering. Measure out 1/ cups of the concen-
trated liquor to be used in the following sauce:

MUSSELS

231

A wire whip Strain the hot mussel cooking liquor into the flour and

butter ro/ix, being sure not to add any sand that may
have collected at the bottom of the mussel kettle. Beat
roux and liquid with a wire whip to blend thoroughly.
Bring to the boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Sauce will be
very thick.

2 e gg yolks
Z2 cup whipping cream
A mixing bowl
A wire whip
A wooden spoon
Salt and pepper
Drops of lemon juice

Blend the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl.
Gradually beat in the hot sauce, in a thin stream of
droplets. Pour the sauce back into the pan. Set over
moderately high heat and stir with a wooden spoon,
reaching all over the bottom of the pan, until the sauce
comes to the boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring. Remove
from heat and taste carefully for seasoning, stirring in
salt, pepper, and drops of lemon juice if necessary.
Fold the mussels into the sauce.

(*) If not to be served immediately, clean sauce off
sides of pan and film top of sauce with milk. Set aside
uncovered, and reheat to simmer when ready to use.

4 to 8 Tb softened butter
6 buttered scallop shells or
porcelain or pyrex shells
of Z2 cup capacity
Parsley sprigs

Just before serving, and off heat, fold the butter into
the hot sauce and mussels 1 tablespoon at a time. Fold
until each bit is absorbed before adding the next. Heap
the mixture into the shells, decorate with parsley, and
serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

Pilaf de Monies

[Sauced Mussels in a Rice Ring]

Prepare and sauce the mussels exactly as in the preceding recipe, but serve
them in a ring of risotto, page 532.

Soupe aux Monies

[Mussel Soup]

The very same recipe may also be turned into a mussel soup. After enrich-
ing the sauce with cream and egg yolks, thin it out to a cream soup consistency

232

CHAPTER FIVE: FISH

with several cups of boiling milk. Then add the mussels, and bring just to the
simmer. Off heat, and just before serving, fold in 2 tablespoons of butter, one
by one. Decorate with minced parsley or chervil.

OTHER RECIPES-OTHER SAUCES

Fish Recipes Appearing in Other Chapters

FISH SOUFFLES
Salmon Souffle, page 166

Flounder Souffle with sauce mousseline sabayon, page 168

Shellfish Souffle, page 170

Fish Souffle Baked on a Platter, page 170

Unmolded Souffles, page 171

Fish Timbales, pages 174-5

Fish Quenelles, page 185

Creamed Shellfish, page 202

Shellfish Quiche, open-faced tart, page 149

Gratin of Canned Salmon or Tuna, or of Fish Leftovers, page 156

Bouillabaisse, page 52

Crab or Lobster in Aspic, pages 549, 553

Salmon Mousse, page 562

Fish and Shellfish Mousse, pages 562, 564

Sauces for Boiled or Baked Fish

Hollandaise and Variations, pages 79 to 85

Mock Hollandaise and Variations, page 64

White Butter Sauce and Lemon Butter Sauce, pages 96 and 98

Brown Butter Sauce, page 98

Sauce Chivry, white-wine herb sauce, page 62

A'ioli, garlic mayonnaise, page 92

Sauce Alsacienne, herbal mayonnaise with soft-boiled eggs, page 93
Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, capers and onions, page 95
Sour Cream Dressing, page 95

OTHER FISH SAUCES

233

Sauces for Sauteed or Broiled Fish
Mustard Sauce, page 66
Brown Butter Sauce, page 98
Many of the Flavored Butters, pages 100 to 105

Sauces for Cold Fish
Mayonnaise and Variations, pages 86 to 94

Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, capers, and onions, page 95
Sour Cream Dressing, page 95

CHAPTER SIX

POULTRY

Volatile

CHICKEN

Poulet - Poularde

Some of the most glorious dishes of the French cuisine have been
created for chicken, and almost all the fundamentals of French cookery and
sauce making are to be found somewhere in the chicken realm. The most im-
portant aspect of chicken cooking is that you procure a good and flavorsome
bird. Modern poultry raising has done wonders in making it possible to grow
a fine-looking chicken in record time and to sell it at a most reasonable price,
but rarely does anyone in the country discuss flavor. If you are interested in
price alone, you will often end up with something that tastes like the stuffing
inside a teddy bear and needs strong dousings of herbs, wines, and spices to
make it at all palatable. A chicken should taste like chicken and be so good in
itself that it is an absolute delight to eat as a perfectly plain, buttery roast,
saute, or grill. So when you buy chicken, make every attempt to find a market
which takes special pride in the quality and flavor of its poultry.

CHICKEN TYPES

Chickens fall into several categories, all of which relate to age. Age dic-
tates the cooking method. A broiler, for instance, may be broiled, or roasted,
but its very tender flesh becomes dry and stringy if it is fricasseed. The full-

CHICKEN TYPES 235

flavored stewing hen, on the other hand, must be fricasseed or stewed, as its
flesh is too firm to be cooked in any other way.

AMERICAN CHICKEN

NEAREST

FRENCH

EQUIVALENT

USUAL U.S.
WEIGHT
READY TO
COOK

COOKING

METHOD

SQUAB CHICKEN
or Baby Broiler
(about 2 months old)

Poussin

Coquelet

V 4 to I lb.

Broil, Grill,
Roast

BROILER

(2 to 3 months old)

Poulet Nouveau

i Vi to 2 Vi
lbs.

Broil, Grill,
Roast

FRYER

(3 to 5 months old)

Poulet de Grain
(small)

Poulet Reine
(larger)

2 to 3 lbs.

Fry, Saute,
Roast, Casserole
Roast, Fricassee,
Poach

ROASTER

(5 Vi to 9 months old)

Poulet Gras
Poularde

Over 3 lbs.

Roast, Casserole
Roast, Poach,
Fricassee

CAPON and CAPON ETTE
(7 to 10 months old)

Chapon

Usually
over 4
lbs.

Roast, Casserole
Roast, Poach,
Fricassee

STEWING CHICKEN
or FOWL

(10 to 12 months old)

Pottle de I'Annce

Usually
over 3
lbs.

Stew, Fricassee

OLD HEN, COCK, or
ROOSTER
(over 12 months old)

Vielle Poule
Coq

Usually
over 3
lbs.

If still tender:
Stew, Fricassee
If tough:

Soup Stock,
Forcemeat, Pate;
Pressure cook

DEFROSTING FROZEN CHICKEN

The best mcdiod for defrosting frozen chicken, according to those in the
business, is the slowest: leave it in its transparent wrapper and let it thaw in the
refrigerator. It will lose much less of its juice and flavor. The best alternative
is to unwrap it and thaw it in a basin of cold, running water, removing the
package of giblets from die cavity as soon as it can be pried loose, and pulling
the legs and wings away from the body as soon as they will move.

236

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

Sometimes frozen roasters, fryers, and broilers can be quite tough and
stringy. According to the Poultry and Egg National Board, this is usually the
result of their having been frozen while they were too fresh. If the frozen
chicken is flavorless, it may have thawed and been refrozen several times, so the
juices escaped; or it may be too young a bird to have a developed flavor.

WASHING AND DRYING

If you wash the chicken, though the French do not wash theirs, as they
feel it destroys flavor and hastens spoilage — do so rapidly under cold, running
water. Dry it thoroughly inside and out. It will not brown if it is damp.

SINGEING

Usually American chickens have been plucked absolutely clean. If not,
pluck and squeeze out feather follicles, then turn the chicken rapidly over a
gas or alcohol flame to burn off any hairs or feather bits.

* CHICKEN STOCK

A little concentrated chicken stock is easy to make with the giblets and
neck of a chicken and will always give more character to your sauce, however
simple it may be.

Brown Chicken Stock

For about 1 cup

A heavy-bottomed, 2-quart Chop the chicken into pieces of i '/ 2 inches or less.

saucepan Brown them with the vegetables in hot fat or oil.

The chicken neck, gizzard,
heart, and miscellaneous
scraps

1 sliced onion
x sliced carrot
1/2 Tb rendered fresh pork
fat or cooking oil

2 cups white or brown stock,
or canned beef bouillon,
or chicken broth

Pour out the browning fat. Add the liquid, the herbs,
and enough water to cover the chicken by / 2 inch.
Simmer partially covered for iJ 4 hours or more,

CHICKEN

237

2 parsley sprigs skimming as necessary. Strain, degrease, and the stock

/} bay leaf is ready to use.

Vs tsp thyme

White Chicken Stock

Same brown chicken stock, but do not brown the ingredients, and use
white stock or canned chicken broth.

STUFFING WARNING

Stuffings may be prepared in advance, but a chicken should never be
stuffed until just before it is cooked, as the mixture may sour inside the chicken
and spoil die meat.

HOW TO TRUSS A CHICKEN

A whole chicken should be trussed so the legs, wings, and neck skin are
held in place during its cooking, and the bird will make a neat and attractive
appearance on the table. The following French method calls for a trussing or
mattress needle and white string. There are two ties, one at the tail end to
secure die drumsticks, and one at the breast end to fasten the wings and neck
skin.

Tie Number 1

Thrust the needle through the lower part of the carcass.

238 CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

Come back over one drumstick, through the tip of the breastbone, and
over the second drumstick. Tie.

CHICKEN

2 39

Turn the chicken on its breast. Fold the wings akimbo. Go through one
wing, catch the neck skin against either side of the backbone, and come out the
other wing. Draw the string tightly and tie.

The chicken is now ready for oven roasting, spit roasting, or poaching.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A CHICKEN IS DONE

A stewing chicken is done when its meat is tender if pierced with a fork.
Roasters, fryers, and broilers are tender to begin with and are done when the
flesh is cooked through so that the juices, when the meat is pricked deeply
with a fork, run clear yellow with no trace of rosy color. For a whole chicken,
the last drops of juice drained from the vent will run clear yellow with no
rosy traces. While an underdone chicken is not fit to eat, it is a shame to over-
cook chicken, allowing the meat to dry out and lose its juice and flavor. How-
ever, we have noticed that the French criterion of doneness seems like under-
doneness to some American palates. We consider a chicken to be cooked at a
meat-thermometer reading of 175 to 180 degrees, and have based our recipes on
these figures. The figure on American thermometers is 190 degrees.

t imetable for whole chickens : Oven Roasting, Casserole Roasting,
Spit Roasting, and Poaching

This table is based on unchilled, unstuffed chicken. Oven temperature
for open-pan roasting is 350 degrees, for covered roasting, 325 degrees. Meat-
thermometer reading is 175 to 180 degrees. Add 5 to 10 minutes more to die
total roasting time if you wish a reading of 190 degrees. You will note that
larger chickens require less cooking time per pound than smaller chickens. A
4-pound chicken takes an hour and 10 to 20 minutes, while a 7-pound bird re-
quires only 20 to 30 minutes more. Stuffed chicken will take 10 to 30 minutes
additional roasting than the total time indicated.

240

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

ROASTING TIMETABLE -OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350 DEGREES

READY'TO-COOK

WEIGHT

UNDRAWN WEIGHT
(dressed weight)

NUMBER of
people served

APPROXIMATE
TOTAL COOKING
TIME

% lb.

i lb.

1 or 2

30 to 40 minutes

1V4 lbs.

2 lbs.

2

40 to 50 minutes

2 lbs.

3 lbs.

2 or 3

50 to 60 minutes

3 lbs.

4 lbs.

4

1 hour and 10 to
20 minutes

4 lbs.

5 lbs.

4 or 5

1 hour and 15 to
30 minutes

4V2 lbs.

6 lbs.

5 or 6

1 hour and 25 to
40 minutes

5 14 lbs.

7 lbs.

6 or 8

1 hour and 30 to
45 minutes

ROAST i

CHICKEN

* POULET ROTI

[Roast Chicken]

You can always judge the quality of a cook or a restaurant by roast
chicken. While it does not require years of training to produce a juicy, brown,
buttery, crisp-skinned, heavenly bird, it does entail such a greed for perfection
that one is under compulsion to hover over the bird, listen to it, above all see
diat it is continually basted, and that it is done just to the proper turn. Spit
roasting, where the chicken is wrapped in fat and continually rotated, is far less
exacting than oven roasting where you must constantly turn and baste.

Small French chickens are frequently roasted without a stuffing. The
cavity is seasoned with salt and butter, and the skin rubbed with butter. For
oven roasting, it is browned lightly for 10 to 15 minutes at a temperature of
425 degrees, then the temperature is reduced to 350, and the chicken is turned
and basted until it is done. A simple, short deglazing sauce is made with stock
and the juices in the pan, giving just a scant spoonful for each serving.

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Broiled tomatoes, buttered green beans or peas, and sauteed, roasted,
souffleed, or fried potatoes, or potato crepes

ROAST CHICKEN

241

One of the potato casseroles on page 523, and green peas or beans
Stuffed mushrooms, glazed carrots, and glazed onions
Ratatouille (eggplant casserole), page 503, and sauteed potatoes

WINE SUGGESTIONS

A light red wine, such as a Bordeaux-Medoc, or a rose
For 4 people

Estimated roasting time for a 3-pound chicken: 1 hour
and 10 to 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with the salt, and
smear in half the butter. Truss the chicken, page 237.
Dry it thoroughly, and rub the skin with the rest of
the butter.

A 3-lb., ready-to-cook roast-
ing or frying chicken
% tsp salt

2 Tb softened butter

A shallow roasting pan just
large enough to hold the
chicken easily
To flavor the sauce: a small
sliced carrot and onion
For basting: a small sauce-
pan containing 2 Tb
melted butter, 1 Tb good
cooking oil; a basting
brush

V* tsp salt

Zt tsp salt

Place the chicken breast up in the roasting pan. Strew
the vegetables around it, and set it on a rack in the
middle of the preheated oven. Allow the chicken to
brown lightly for 15 minutes, turning it on the left
side after 5 minutes, on the right side for the last 5
minutes, and basting it with the butter and oil after
each turn. Baste rapidly, so oven does not cool off.
Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Leave the chicken on its
side, and baste every 8 to 10 minutes, using the fat in
the roasting pan when the butter and oil are ex-
hausted. Regulate oven heat so chicken is making
cooking noises, but fat is not burning.

Halfway through estimated roasting time, salt the
chicken and turn it on its other side. Continue basting.

Fifteen minutes before end of estimated roasting time,
salt again and turn the chicken breast up. Continue

Indications that the chicken is almost done are: a sud-
den rain of splutters in the oven, a swelling of the
breast and slight puff of the skin, the drumstick is

242

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

tender when pressed and can be moved in its socket.
To check further, prick the thickest part of the drum-
stick with a fork. Its juices should run clear yellow.
As a final check, lift the chicken and drain the juices
from its vent. If the last drops are clear yellow, the
chicken is definitely done. If not, roast another 5
minutes, and test again.

When done, discard trussing strings and set the
chicken on a hot platter. It should sit at room tempera-
ture for 5 to 10 minutes before being carved, so its
juices will retreat back into the tissues.

V2 Tb minced shallot or
green onion

t cup brown chicken stock,
canned chicken broth, or
beef bouillon
Salt and pepper
x to 2 Tb softened butter

Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan.
Stir in the minced shallot or onion and cook slowly
for 1 minute. Add the stock and boil rapidly over high
heat, scraping up coagulated roasting juices with a
wooden spoon and letting liquid reduce to about /
cup. Season with salt and pepper. Off heat and just
before serving, swirl in the enrichment butter by bits
until it has been absorbed. Pour a spoonful of the
sauce over the chicken, and send the rest to the table
in a sauceboat.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

Roast chicken can wait for 20 to 30 minutes in the turned-off hot oven, its
door ajar. It cannot be reheated or it loses its fresh and juicy quality.

Poulet a la Broche
[Spit-roasted Chicken]

Estimated roasting time: same as for oven-roasted chicken, see chart on
page 240.

3 to 4 strips of blanched
bacon, page 15 (never use
regular bacon; it will
flavor the whole chicken)

ROAST CHICKEN

243

Season and truss the chicken as described in the preceding master recipe.
Push the spit through it starting at the breast end. Dry it thoroughly, rub with
butter and sprinkle with salt. Secure the strips of blanched bacon over the
breast and thighs with white string. Because of die bacon, no basting is nec-
essary until the very end.

If you have a rotisserie, use the moderate heat and roast with the door
closed. Remove bacon 15 minutes before the end, and baste with the pan drip-
pings until the chicken is browned and done.

If you have a spit attachment 111 the oven, use a moderate broiler tem-
perature, leave oven door ajar, and place a pan under the chicken to catch the
fat and juices. Fifteen minutes before the end, remove the bacon, increase
broiler temperature, and continue roasting, basting frequently until the
chicken is browned and done.

Use the same tests as for oven roasting in determining when the chicken
is done, and the same method for making the sauce.

Poulet Roti d la Normande

[Roast Chicken Basted with Cream, Herb and Giblet Stuffing]

In this lush combination, the chicken is roasted as usual, but is basted for
die last minutes with heavy cream, which rolls off the buttery, brown chicken
skin and combines with die pan and stuffing juices.

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Serve sauteed mushrooms and sauteed potatoes, or green peas and braised
onions.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

A chilled white Burgundy or white Graves, or a red Bordeaux-Medoc
would be appropriate.

For 4 or 5 people

Herb and giblet stuffing

The chicken gizzard, peeled Saute the gizzard in hot butter and oil for 2 minutes.

and minced Then stir in the heart, liver, and shallots or onions.

1 Tb butter Saute for 2 minutes more, or until the liver has stiff-

244

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

!4 tsp oil
A small skillet
The chicken heart, chopped
i to 4 chopped chicken livers

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Yt cup coarse dry crumbs
from homemade-type of
white bread

2 Tb cream cheese

1 Tb softened butter

2 Tb minced parsley

Ys tsp tarragon or thyme
Ys tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

A 3-lb. ready-to-cook roast-
ing or frying chicken
Yt tsp salt
i Tb butter

Roasting the chicken

i cup whipping cream

Va tsp salt

The sauce

3 Tb strong brown chicken
stock or canned beef
bouillon

3 to 4 Tb whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Drops of lemon juice

ened but is still rosy inside. Scrape into a mixing
bowl.

Blend in the rest of the ingredients and taste carefully
for seasoning. Let the stuffing cool.

Sprinkle salt inside the chicken, and loosely fill with
the stuffing. Sew or skewer the vent. Truss and dry
the chicken, and rub its skin with butter.

Roast it either in the oven, page 240, or on a spit,
page 242. About 10 minutes before the end of the esti-
mated roasting time, remove all but 1 spoonful of fat
from the roasting pan. Start basting with 2 or 3 table-
spoons of cream every 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken
is done. The cream will probably look curdled in the
pan, but this will be corrected later.

Remove the chicken to a hot platter and sprinkle with
salt.

Add the stock or bouillon to the cream in the roasting
pan and boil rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up
coagulated chicken roasting juices.

Just before serving, remove from heat and stir in ad-
ditional cream by spoonfuls to smooth out the sauce.
Correct seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to
taste.

Spoon a bit of sauce over the chicken and send the rest
to the table in a warmed sauceboat.

ROAST CHICKEN

245

Poulet au Porto

[Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Cream, and Mushrooms]

Chicken, cream, and mushrooms occur again and again, as it is one of the
great combinations. This perfectly delicious recipe is not difficult, but it cannot
be prepared ahead of time or the chicken will lose its fresh and juicy quality.
The chicken is roasted, then carved, flamed in cognac, and allowed to steep for
several minutes with cream, mushrooms, and port wine. It is die kind of dish
to do when you are entertaining a few good, food-loving friends whom you can
receive in your kitchen.

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Nothing should interfere with these special flavors. It would be best to
serve only potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526, or a perfectly seasoned risotto,
page 532. Peas, or asparagus tips, or braised onions, page 481, could be added if
you feel the necessity for more vegetables.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve very good, chilled, white Burgundy such as a Meursault or Mon-
trachet, or an excellent, chateau-bottled white Graves.

For 4 people

A 3-lb., ready-to-cook, roast-
ing or frying chicken

Roast the chicken as described in the master recipe on
page 240. Be sure not to overcook it.

1 lb. fresh mushrooms

Meanwhile, trim and wash the mushrooms. Quarter
them if large, leave them whole if small.

A 2V2-quart enameled or
stainless steel saucepan
/ cup water
Zi Tb butter
Z2 tsp lemon juice
!4 tsp salt

Bring the water to boil in the saucepan with the but-
ter, lemon, and salt. Toss in the mushrooms, cover,
and boil slowly for 8 minutes. Pour out the cooking
liquid and reserve.

1 cup whipping cream Pour the cream and the cornstarch mixture into the

Zi Tb cornstarch blended mushrooms. Simmer for 2 minutes. Correct seasoning,
with 1 Tb of the cream and set aside.

Salt and pepper

246

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

When the chicken is done, remove it to a carving
board and let it rest at room temperature while com-
pleting the sauce.

Vi Tb minced shallots or
green onions
Vi cup medium-dry port
The mushroom cooking
liquid

The mushrooms in cream
Salt and pepper
Drops of lemon juice

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting
pan. Stir in the shallots or onions and cook slowly for
1 minute. Add the port and the mushroom juice, and
boil down rapidly, scraping up coagulated roasting
juices, until liquid has reduced to about Va CU P- Add
the mushrooms and cream and simmer for 2 to 3
minutes, allowing the liquid to thicken slightly. Cor-
rect seasoning and add lemon juice to taste.

A fireproof casserole or a
chafing dish
1 Tb butter
Vs tsp salt

Smear the inside of the casserole or chafing dish with
butter. Rapidly carve the chicken into serving pieces.
Sprinkle lightly with salt, and arrange in the casserole
or chafing dish.

Va cup cognac Set over moderate heat or an alcohol flame until you

hear the chicken begin to sizzle. Then pour the co-
gnac over it. Avert your face, and ignite the cognac
with a lighted match. Shake the casserole slowly un-
til the flames have subsided. Then pour in the mush-
room mixture, tilting the casserole and basting the
chicken. Cover and steep for 5 minutes without allow-
ing the sauce to boil. Serve.

(*) Chicken may remain in its casserole over barely
simmering water or in the turned-off hot oven with
its door ajar, for 10 to 15 minutes, but the sooner it is
served, the better it will be.

Coquelets sur Canapes

[Roast Squab Chickens with Chicken Liver Canapes and Mushrooms]

Also for: squab pigeons, game hens, partridge, quail, dove

This is one of the classic French recipes for serving small roast birds. The
livers are chopped, seasoned, and spread over sauteed bread rectangles; just be-
fore serving, these are run under the broiler. Then the roast birds are placed on
them, and the dish is garnished with a wine-flavored deglazing sauce and
sauteed mushrooms.

ROAST CHICKEN

247

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Only sauteed, shoestring, or souffleed potatoes, or homemade potato chips
are suggested.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve a red Bordeaux-Medoc for chicken, game hens, or pigeon; red
Bordeaux-St. fimilion or red Burgundy for game.

For 6 people, 1 bird apiece

A Note on the Order of Battle: Although the mushrooms and canapes may be
prepared while the birds are roasting, it seems best to do them ahead and re-
lieve pressure, for the roast birds should be served almost as soon as they are
done.

The mushrooms

1 Zz lbs. fresh mushrooms Trim and wash the mushrooms. Leave whole if small,

2 Tb butter quarter if large. Dry in a towel. Saute for 5 to 6 min-

1 Tb oil utes in hot butter and oil until they are very lightly

A 10- to 12-inch enameled browned.

skillet

1 Tb minced shallots or Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic, and cook
green onions over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Set aside.

V2 clove mashed garlic

The canapes

Homemade-type of white Cut 6 slices of bread % inch thick. Remove crusts,
bread and cut slices into rectangles 2 by j }/ 2 inches.

*/2 cup clarified butter, page Saute the bread lightly on each side in hot clarified
15 butter.

A skillet

6 poultry or game livers Trim the livers, cutting off any black or green spots,
from the birds Chop very fine, almost into a puree, with the pork fat

3 Tb fresh, raw pork fat; or bacon. Then blend the liver in a bowl with the

OR fat bacon simmered seasonings, wine, and optional foie gras. Spread the

in water for 10 minutes, mixture on one side of each rectangle of sauteed

rinsed, and dried bread. Arrange on a broiling pan and set aside. (Pre-

248

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

% tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper
1 Tb Madeira, port, or co-
gnac

Optional: 2 to 3 Tb foie
gras

Roasting the birds

Six 10- to 12-ounce, ready-
to-cook squab chickens,
game hens, squab pigeons,
or game birds

Z2 Tb salt

2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions

Z2 tsp dried tarragon

4 Tb butter

6 strips of bacon simmered
in water for 10 minutes,
rinsed, and dried

A shallow roasting pan just
large enough to hold the
birds easily on their sides

3 Tb butter melted with 1
Tb good cooking oil

A basting brush

Z2 Tb salt

The sauce

x Tb minced shallots or
green onions

heat broiler in time to cook the canapes just before
serving.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season the cavities of the birds with a sprinkling of
salt, shallots or onion, and tarragon, and 1 teaspoon of
butter. Truss the birds, dry them, and rub with butter.
Cut the blanched bacon in half, crosswise, and tie 2
strips over the breast and thighs of each bird.

Place the birds in the roasting pan, and set on a rack
in the middle of the preheated oven. Baste and turn
the birds every 5 to 7 minutes until they are done :
CHICKENS will take from 30 to 40 minutes; they
are done when the last drops of juice from their vents
run clear yellow with no trace of rose.

GAME HENS, as their flesh is usually firmer than
chicken, take about 45 minutes; they are done when
the flesh of their drumsticks is soft.

PARTRIDGE and QUAIL, if young and tender, may
be judged like chicken; if older, like game hens.
PIGEON and DOVE may be served slightly under-
done if you wish, when their juices run a very pale
rose rather than a clear yellow.

When done, remove trussing strings, sprinkle the
birds with salt, and place them on a warm platter.
Set in turned-off oven, its door ajar.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting
pan. Stir in the shallots or onions and cook slowly for

ROAST CHICKEN

249

1Z2 cups brown chicken
stock, brown stock, or
canned beef bouillon
Za cup Madeira or port
1 to 2 Tb softened butter

1 minute. Add the stock or bouillon and wine and
boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated cooking juices un-
til liquid has reduced to about Z2 cup. Correct season-
ing. Off heat and just before serving, swirl the butter
into the sauce.

Final assembly

Just before serving, run the liver canapes under a hot
broiler for a minute, until they are sizzling.

1 Tb butter Toss the mushrooms over moderately high heat with

Za tsp salt the butter, salt, and pepper.

Pinch of pepper

A handful of water-cress
leaves or parsley sprigs

Place a canape under each bird. Surround with the
mushrooms, and decorate with water cress or parsley.
Spoon the sauce over the birds, and serve.

CASSEROLE-ROASTED CHICKEN
* POULET POELE A L’ESTRAGON

[Casserole-roasted Chicken with Tarragon]

For: roasters, large fryers, and capons

When a chicken is cooked this way, it is trussed, browned in butter and
oil, then set to roast in a covered casserole with herbs and seasonings. It is a
lovely method, as the buttery, aromatic steam in the casserole gives the chicken
great tenderness and flavor. While oven cooking is more even, the top of the
stove may be used if your casserole is heavy ; then the chicken must be turned
and basted frequently, and the cooking will be a little longer than for oven
cooking.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
They are the same as for a roast chicken, page 240.
For 4 people

Estimated roasting time : 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes
for a 3-lb. bird. See chart on page 240 for other sizes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

250

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

A 3-lb., ready-to-cook roast-
ing chicken
Za tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

2 Tb butter

3 or 4 sprigs of fresh tarra-
gon or ! /2 tsp of dried tar-
ragon

A heavy fireproof casse-
role just large enough to
hold the chicken on its
back and on its side
2 Tb butter

i Tb oil, more if needed

3 Tb butter, if necessary

Vi cup sliced onions
Za cup sliced carrots
Za tsp salt

3 or 4 sprigs of fresh tarra-
gon or '/2 tsp dried tarra-
gon

Za tsp salt
A bulb baster
Aluminum foil
A tight-fitting cover for the
casserole

Season the cavity of the chicken with salt, pepper, and
i tablespoon of the butter. Insert the tarragon leaves,
or sprinkle in dried tarragon. Truss the chicken, page
237. Dry it thoroughly and rub the skin with the rest
of die butter.

Set the casserole over moderately high heat with the
butter and oil. When the butter foam has begun to
subside, lay in the chicken, breast down. Brown for 2
to 3 minutes, regulating heat so butter is always very
hot but not burning. Turn the chicken on another
side, using 2 wooden spoons or a towel. Be sure not
to break the chicken skin. Continue browning and
turning the chicken until it is a nice golden color al-
most all over, particularly on the breast and legs. This
will take 10 to 15 minutes. Add more oil if necessary
to keep the bottom of the casserole filmed.

Remove the chicken. Pour out the browning fat if it
has burned, and add fresh butter.

Cook the carrots and onions slowly in the casserole
for 5 minutes without browning. Add the salt and
tarragon.

Salt the chicken. Set it breast up over the vegetables
and baste it with the butter in the casserole. Lay a
piece of aluminum foil over the chicken, cover the
casserole, and reheat it on top of the stove until you
hear the chicken sizzling. Then place the casserole on
a rack in the middle level of the preheated oven.

Roast for 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes, regulating heat
so chicken is always making quiet cooking noises.
Baste once or twice with the butter and juices in the

CASSEROLE-ROASTED CHICKEN

2 5 I

casserole. The chicken is done when its drumsticks
move in their sockets, and when the last drops drained
from its vent run clear yellow.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter and discard
trussing strings.

Brown tarragon sauce

2 cups brown chicken stock,
or 1 cup canned beef
bouillon and 1 cup canned
chicken broth

1 Tb cornstarch blended
with 2 Tb Madeira or
port

2 Tb fresh minced tarragon
or parsley

1 Tb softened butter

Add the stock or bouillon and broth to the casserole
and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up coagulated
roasting juices. Then skim off all but a tablespoon of
fat. Blend in the cornstarch mixture, simmer a minute,
then raise heat and boil rapidly until sauce is lightly
thickened. Taste carefully for seasoning, adding more
tarragon if you feel it necessary. Strain into a warmed
sauceboat. Stir in the herbs and the enrichment butter.

To serve

Optional but attractive: 10
to 12 fresh tarragon leaves
blanched for 30 seconds
in boiling water then
rinsed in cold water, and
dried on paper towels

Pour a spoonful of sauce over the chicken, and deco-
rate the breast and legs with optional tarragon leaves.
Platter may be garnished with sprigs of fresh parsley
or — if you are serving them — sauteed potatoes and
broiled tomatoes.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

If the chicken is not to be served for about half an hour, make the sauce
except for its butter enrichment, and strain it into a saucepan. Return the
chicken to the casserole. Place aluminum foil over it and set the cover askew.
Keep the casserole warm over almost simmering water, or in the turned-off
hot oven, its door ajar. Reheat and butter the sauce just before serving.

OPTIONAL:

Farce Duxelles

[Mushroom Stuffing]

A chicken will need 10 to 15 minutes more cooking if you fill it with
dais stuffing.

252

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

For a 5 -lb. chicken

l A lb. finely minced fresh
mushrooms
1 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

1V2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
A 10-inch skillet

A handful at a time, twist the mushrooms into a ball
in the corner of a towel to extract their juice. Saute
them in hot butter and oil with the shallots or onions
for 5 to 8 minutes, until the pieces begin to separate
from each other. Place them in a mixing bowl.

The chicken gizzard, peeled Saute the gizzard for 2 minutes in hot butter. Add the
and minced liver and saute 2 minutes more. Add to the mixing

The chopped chicken liver bowl.

1 Tb butter
A small skillet

14 cup Madeira or port Pour the wine into the mushroom cooking skillet and

boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to a spoonful.
Scrape into the mixing bowl.

y 4 cup dry, white crumbs
from homemade-type of
bread

3 Tb cream cheese

1 Tb softened butter

Z2 tsp minced fresh or dried
tarragon

2 Tb minced parsley

‘/4 tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper

Blend the rest of the ingredients into the mixing
bowl and season carefully to taste. Let the stuffing
cool. Pack it loosely into the chicken. Sew or skewer
the vent and truss the chicken. Then brown and roast
it as described in the preceding master recipe.

VARIATION

Poulet en Cocotte Bonne Femme

[Casserole-roasted Chicken with Bacon, Onions, and Potatoes]

This is an all-in-one dish where bacon and vegetables are cooked with the
chicken and each item takes on a bit of flavor from its neighbors. No other

CASSEROLE-ROASTED CHICKEN

253

vegetables are needed to make up a main course, but you may wish to serve
broiled tomatoes along with it for color.

For 4 people

A 14 -lb. chunk of bacon
A fireproof casserole for
cooking the chicken
1 Tb butter

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons
(rectangular strips J4 inch wide and iJ4 inches long).
Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in
cold water, and dry. In the casserole, saute the bacon
for 2 to 3 minutes in butter until very lightly browned.
Remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the casserole.

A 3-lb., ready-to-cook roast-
ing chicken, trussed and
buttered

Brown the chicken in the hot fat, as described in the
master recipe on page 249. Remove it to a side dish
and pour the fat out of the casserole.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

15 to 25 peeled white onions
about 1 inch in diameter

Drop the onions in boiling, salted water and boil
slowly for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

1 to 1 14 lbs. “boiling” pota-
toes or small new potatoes

Peel the potatoes and trim them into uniform ovals
about 2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cover
with cold water, and bring to the boil. Drain immed-
iately.

3 Tb butter
14 tsp salt

A medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, 14 bay leaf,
and 14 tsp thyme tied in
washed cheesecloth
A bulb baster
Aluminum foil
A tight-fitting cover for the
casserole

Heat the butter in the casserole until it is foaming.
Add the drained potatoes and roll them around over
moderate heat for 2 minutes to evaporate their mois-
ture; this will prevent their sticking to the casserole.
Spread them aside, salt the chicken, and place it breast
up in the casserole. Place the bacon and onions over
the potatoes, and the herb bouquet. Baste all ingredi-
ents with the butter in the casserole, lay the aluminum
foil over the chicken, and cover the casserole.

Heat the casserole on top of the stove until the con-
tents are sizzling, then place in the middle level of
the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour and 10 to 20
minutes or until the chicken is done, page 239. Baste
once or twice with the butter and juices in the pan. No
sauce is necessary.

254

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

SAUTEED CHICKEN

* POULET SAUTE
[Sauteed Chicken]

For: frying chickens

In a true saute the cut-up chicken is cooked entirely in butter, or butter
and oil, with seasonings. No liquid comes in contact with it until the very end.
It is a quick and delicious way to cook chicken, but should be served as soon as
possible after it is done or it loses the fresh and juicy characteristics of a saute.
The fricassees, however, as they cook in a sauce, take well to reheating.

A NOTE ON DISJOINTING THE CHICKEN

French chicken is disjointed so that each wing includes a strip from the
lower part of the breast. The breast minus ribs is cut in two, crosswise. The
drumsticks are separated from the second joints. This makes 8 good serving
pieces, plus the back cut in two, crosswise, if you wish to include it.

American chicken is usually disjointed into 2 drumsticks, 2 second joints,
the 2 halves of the breast, and the 2 wings with no breast meat attached. So that
the breasts will cook evenly, slip a knife under the ribs and remove them. Each
breast half may be chopped in two, crosswise, if you wish.

WINE AND VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS
These are the same as for roast chicken, page 240.

For 4 to 6 people.

Total cooking time: 30 to 35 minutes

Browning the chicken (8 to 10 minutes)

2V2 to 3 lbs. of cut-up frying Dry each piece of chicken thoroughly. It will not
chicken brown if it is damp.

A heavy, 10-inch casserole,
skillet, or electric skillet
2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil,
more if necessary to keep
bottom of pan filmed with
fat

Place the casserole or skillet over moderately high heat
with the butter and oil (360 degrees for an electric
skillet). When you see that the butter foam has almost
subsided, add as many chicken pieces, skin-side down,
as will fit easily in one layer. In 2 to 3 minutes, when
the chicken has browned to a nice golden color on one

SAUTEED CHICKEN

255

»

t

t

Tongs for turning the side, turn it to brown on another side. Regulate heat
chicken so fat is always very hot but not burning. Remove

browned pieces as they are done and add fresh ones
until all pieces have browned.

Finishing the cooking (20 to 25 minutes )

Salt and pepper
Optional: 1 to 2 tsp fresh
green herbs: thyme, basil,
and tarragon, or tarragon
only; or 1 tsp dried herbs
2 or 3 Tb butter, if necessary

Salt and pepper
A bulb baster

Season the dark meat with salt, pepper, and optional
herbs. (The wings and breasts are done later, as they
cook faster.) If the browning fat has burned, pour it
out of the casserole and add the fresh butter. Place
over moderate heat (300 degrees for an electric skil-
let).' Add the dark meats, cover the casserole, and
cook slowly for 8 to 9 minutes.

Season the white meat, add it to the dark meat, and
baste the chicken with the butter in the casserole.
Cover and continue cooking for about 15 minutes,
turning and basting the chicken 2 or 3 times.

The meat is done when the fattest part of the drum-
sticks is tender if pinched and the chicken juices run
clear yellow when the meat is pricked deeply with a
fork.

Remove the chicken to a hot serving platter. Cover
and keep warm for 2 to 3 minutes while finishing the
sauce.

Brown deglazing sauce

1 Tb minced shallot or
green onions

Optional: 'A cup dry white
wine or l A cup dry white
vermouth

% to 1 cup brown chicken
stock, canned beef bouil-
lon, or canned chicken
broth

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced
parsley or fresh green
herbs

Remove all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of fat from the cas-
serole. Add the shallots or onions and cook slowly
for 1 minute. Pour in the optional wine, and the stock.
Raise heat and boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated
saute juices and reducing liquid to about l A cup. Cor-
rect seasoning. Off heat and just before serving, swirl
in the enrichment butter and optional herbs.

Arrange around the platter whatever vegetables you
have chosen. Pour the sauce over the chicken and

serve.

*

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

256

(*) FOR A WAIT UP TO HALF AN HOUR

Finish the sauce except for its final buttering. Arrange the cooked chicken
in an enameled, glazed, pyrex, or stainless steel casserole and baste it with the
sauce. Cover loosely and set over barely simmering water. Just before serving,
and off heat, tip casserole, add enrichment butter, and baste the chicken with
the sauce.

(*) PARTIAL COOKING IN ADVANCE

The chicken may be browned, the dark meat cooked for 8 to 9 minutes,
and the white meat added and cooked for 5 minutes more. Then set the cas-
serole aside, uncovered. About 10 to 15 minutes before serving time, cover and
finish the cooking on top of the stove; or heat the casserole and set it in a pre-
heated 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

OTHER SAUCES

Poulet Saute a la Creme

[Deglazing Sauce with Cream]

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

14 cup dry white wine or 14
cup dry white vermouth
1 cup whipping cream

Saute the chicken as described in the preceding recipe
and place it on a hot platter. Remove all but 1 table-
spoon of fat from the casserole. Stir in the shallots or
onions and cook slowly for 1 minute. Then add the
wine and boil it rapidly down to about 3 tablespoons,
scraping up coagulated cooking juices. Add the cream
and boil it down until it has thickened slightly.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter Correct seasoning. Off heat and just before serving,
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced swirl in the butter and optional herbs,
parsley or mixed green
herbs

Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Poulet Saute Chasseur
[Tomato and Mushroom Sauce]

Use the same technique as for the veal scallops on page 368, escalopes de
veau chasseur

SAUTEED CHICKEN

257

VARIATION

Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence

[Chicken Sauteed with Herbs and Garlic, Egg Yolk and Butter Sauce]

Basil, thyme or savory, a pinch of fennel, and a bit of garlic give this saute
a fine Provencal flavor that is even more pronounced if your herbs are fresh.
The sauce is a type of hollandaise, as the herbal, buttery pan juices are beaten
into egg yolks to make a thick and creamy liaison. Serve this dish with potatoes
sauteed in butter or potato crepes, pages 521 or 526, broiled tomatoes and a
chilled rose wine.

For 4 to 6 people

A heavy- 10-inch fireproof
casserole, skillet, or elec-
tric skillet set at 300 de-
grees

Za lb. (1 stick) butter
2Z2 to 3 lbs. of cut-up frying
chicken dried in a towel
1 tsp thyme or savory
1 tsp basil

Za tsp ground fennel
Salt and pepper
3 cloves unpeeled garlic

Heat the butter until it is foaming, then turn the
chicken pieces in it for 7 to 8 minutes, not letting them
color more than a deep yellow. Remove the white
meat. Season the dark meat with herbs, salt, and pep-
per, and add the garlic to the casserole. Cover and
cook slowly for 8 to 9 minutes. Season the white meat
and add it to the casserole, basting the chicken with
the butter. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning and
basting 2 or 3 times, until the chicken is tender and
its juices run pale yellow when the meat is pricked
with a fork.

When the chicken is done, remove it to a hot platter,
cover, and keep warm.

Zi cup dry white wine or Z2 Mash the garlic cloves in the casserole with a spoon,

cup dry white vermouth then remove the garlic peel. Add the wine and boil it

down over high heat, scraping up coagulated saute
juices until the wine has been reduced by half.

2 egg yolks
1 Tb lemon juice
i Tb dry white wine or
white vermouth
A small enameled saucepan
A wire whip

Beat the egg yolks in the saucepan until they are thick
and sticky. Beat in the lemon juice and wine. Then
beat in the casserole liquid, a half-teaspoon at a time
to make a thick creamy sauce like a hollandaise.

Optional: 2 or 3 Tb softened
butter

Beat the sauce over very low heat for 4 to 5 seconds
to warm and thicken it. Remove from heat and beat in

25 §

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

2 Tb fresh minced basil, more butter by tablespoons if you wish. Beat in the

fresh fennel tops, or pars- herbs, and correct seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the

ky chicken, and serve.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE

For: fryers, roasters, and young stewing chicken

One frequently runs into chicken recipes labeled sautes which are actually
fricassees, and others labeled fricassees which are actually stews. The fricassee
is halfway between the two. No liquid is included in the cooking of a saute.
For a stew, the chicken is simmered in liquid from the start of its cooking.
When chicken is fricasseed, tire meat is always cooked first in butter— or butter
and oil— until its flesh has swelled and stiffened, then the liquid is added. There
is a subtle but definite difference in taste between the three methods. Fricassees
can be white, like the following recipe, or brown, like the coq au vin on page
263. It is an ideal technique for ahead-of-time dishes, as the chicken loses none
of its essential qualities if it is allowed to cool in its sauce and is then reheated.

TYPE OF CHICKEN TO USE

The following recipes are all based on frying chicken. Younger chickens,
such as broilers, should never be used ; their flesh is so soft and tender that it
dries out and becomes stringy. Older chickens need longer cooking dian the
25 to 30 minutes of simmering required for a fryer.

Roasting chicken — 35 to 45 minutes of simmering

Young stewing chicken — i l / 2 hours or more of simmering, or until the
flesh is tender when pricked with a fork.

* FRICASSEE DE POULET A L’ANCIENNE

[Old-fashioned Chicken Fricassee with Wine-flavored Cream Sauce,

Onions, and Mushrooms]

For this traditional Sunday dinner dish, which is not difficult to execute,
the chicken pieces are turned in hot butter, sprinkled with flour and seasonings,
then simmered in wine and white stock. The sauce is a reduction of the cooking
liquid, enriched with cream and egg yolks. Braised onions and mushrooms ac-
company the chicken. Include also steamed rice or risotto, pages 529 or 532, or

t

■

CHICKEN FRICASSEE

259

buttered noodles. If you want other vegetables, buttered peas or asparagus tips
may serve as a garnish.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve a chilled, fairly full-bodied white Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, or
Bordeaux-Graves.

For 4 to 6 people

Preliminary cooking in butter

2/2 to 3 lbs. of cut-up fry- Dry the chicken thoroughly in a towel,
ing chicken

A heavy, 10-inch, fireproof
casserole or electric skillet
1 thinly sliced onion, carrot,
and celery stalk
4 Tb butter

Cook the vegetables slowly in the butter for about 5
minutes, or until they are almost tender but not
browned (260 degrees for an electric skillet). Push
them to one side. Raise heat slightly (290 degrees),
and add the chicken. Turn it every minute for 3 or 4
minutes until the meat has stiffened slightly, without
coloring to more than a light golden yellow.

Lower heat (260 for an electric skillet), cover, and
cook very slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken
once. It should swell slightly, stiffen more, but not
deepen in color.

Adding the flour

V2 tsp salt

Vs tsp white pepper

3 Tb flour

Sprinkle salt, pepper, and flour on all sides of the
chicken, turning and rolling each piece to coat the
flour with the cooking butter. Cover and continue
cooking slowly for 4 minutes, turning it once.

Simmering in stock an ^ wine

3 cups boiling white chicken
stock, white stock, or
canned chicken bouillon
1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth
A small herb bouquet: 2
parsley sprigs, Vs bay leaf
and Vs tsp thyme tied in
washed cheesecloth

Remove from heat and pour in the boiling liquid,
shaking casserole to blend the liquid and flour. Add
the wine, the herb bouquet, and more stock, or water,
so the liquid just covers the chicken. Bring to the
simmer. Taste for seasoning, and salt lightly if neces-
sary.

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

260

Cover and maintain at a slow simmer for 25 to 30
minutes (180 to 190 degrees for an electric skillet).
The chicken is done when the drumsticks are tender
if pinched and the chicken juices run clear yellow
when the meat is pricked with a fork. When done, re-
move the chicken to a side dish.

Onion and mushroom garniture

16 to 20 white-braised on- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and
ions, page 481 mushrooms. Add their cooking juices to the chicken

'/2 lb. fresh mushrooms cooking sauce in the next step,
stewed in butter, lemon
juice, and water, page 511

The sauce

2 egg yolks

Vi cup whipping cream
A 2-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip

A wooden spoon

Salt and white pepper
Drops of lemon juice
Pinch of nutmeg

Final assembly
A clean casserole

Simmer the cooking liquid in the casserole for 2 to 3
minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise heat and boil
rapidly, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces
and thickens enough to coat a spoon nicely. Correct
seasoning. You should have 2 to 2/2 cups.

Blend the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl
with a wire whip. Continue beating, and add the hot
sauce by small tablespoonfuls until about a cupful
has gone in. Beat in the rest of the sauce in a thin
stream.

Pour the sauce back into the casserole, or into an
enameled or stainless steel saucepan (do not use
aluminum). Set over moderately high heat and, stir-
ring constantly, reach all over the bottom and sides of
the casserole, until the sauce comes to a boil. Boil for 1
minute, stirring.

Correct seasoning, adding drops of lemon juice to
taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. Strain the sauce through
a fine sieve.

Arrange the chicken, and the onion and mushroom
garniture, in the casserole. Pour the sauce over it.

(*) Except for reheating, and the final buttering of

CHICKEN FRICASSEE

261

the sauce, the dish is now ready and can wait indefi-
nitely. To prevent a skin from forming over the sauce,
spoon over it a film of cream, stock, or milk. Set it
aside uncovered.

Reheating and serving

Set casserole over moderate heat and bring to the sim-
mer. Cover and simmer very slowly for 5 minutes, 01
until the chicken is hot through, basting it frequently
with the sauce.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter Off heat and j ust before serving, tilt casserole, add en-
richment butter, and baste the chicken with the sauce
until the butter has absorbed into it.

Sprigs of fresh parsley Serve the chicken from the casserole; or arrange it

with the onions and mushrooms on a hot platter, sur-
rounded with rice or noodles, and covered with the
sauce. Decorate with sprigs of fresh parsley.

VARIATIONS: SAUCES

Using the preceding recipe, you may vary the sauce in a number of ways.
The egg yolk liaison at the end may be omitted and a cream sauce substituted;
just reduce the cooking liquid until it is quite thick, then simmer it slowly
while thinning it out with spoonfuls of heavy cream until it is the consistency
you wish it to be. Here are some other ideas:

VARIATIONS

Fricassee de Poulet d I’lndienne

[Curry Sauce]

1 to 2 Tb fragrant curry After the chicken has had its preliminary turning of 5
powder minutes in butter, blend in the curry powder. Cover,

and proceed with the 10-minute cooking period. Then
continue with the recipe.

262

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

Fricassee de Poulet

au Paprika

[Paprika Sauce]

1V2 Tb fresh-smelling and

After the chicken has had its preliminary turning of

fragrant paprika

5 minutes in butter, blend in the paprika. Cover, and
proceed with the 10-minute cooking period. Then
continue with the recipe.

Vi Tb more paprika, if nec-

After completing the sauce, stir in more paprika if

essary

the sauce needs color. It should be a creamy pink.

Fricassee de Poulet

a VEstragon

[Tarragon Sauce]

4 or 5 sprigs fresh tarragon

Add the tarragon to the wine and stock for the sim-

or 2 tsp dried tarragon

mering of the chicken.

2 Tb fresh minced tarragon

Stir fresh tarragon or parsley into the finished sauce.

or parsley

FONDUE DE POULET A LA CREME

[Chicken Simmered widi Cream and Onions]

In this rich and delectable dish, the chicken is cooked in butter and onions,
then simmered with wine and heavy cream. Serve it with steamed rice or
risotto, page 532, buttered green peas or baked cucumbers, page 499, and a
fairly full-bodied white Burgundy or white Bordeaux-Graves.

For 4 to 6 people

1/7. to 3 lbs. of cut-up frying
chicken
3 Tb butter

A heavy, 10-inch, fireproof
casserole

i'/2 cups thinly sliced yellow
onions

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Turn it in hot butter for
4 to 5 minutes, until the meat has stiffened slightly
but has not browned. Remove it to a side dish.

Stir the onions into the butter in the pan. Cover and
cook very slowly for 5 minutes, or until the onions
are fairly tender but not browned.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE

263

Return the chicken to the casserole, cover and cook
slowly for 10 minutes until it swells slightly and
stiffens, but does not brown. Turn it once during this
period.

/ tsp salt
Vs tsp white pepper
!4 tsp curry powder
Vi cup cognac, Calvados,
Madeira, or port; or %
cup dry white wine, or V2
cup dry white vermouth

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and curry pow-
der. Pour in the spirits or wine, raise heat, and boil
rapidly until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.

3 cups whipping cream Pour on the hot cream, bring to the simmer, baste
brought to the boil in a the chicken, and cover the casserole. Maintain at the
small saucepan barest simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the

chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow
when the meat is pricked with a fork. The cream may
look slightly curdled, but will be smoothed out later.

Remove the chicken to a hot platter, cover, and keep
warm for 5 minutes while finishing the sauce.

Salt and white pepper Skim fat off the sauce, then boil it rapidly, stirring,

Drops of lemon juice until it reduces enough to coat the spoon lightly. Cor-

3 to 4 Tb whipping cream rect seasoning, adding lemon juice to taste. Off heat,

beat in additional cream by spoonfuls to smooth out
the sauce.

Sprigs of fresh parsley Pour the sauce over the chicken, decorate with parsley.

and serve.

COQ AU VIN

[Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon]

This popular dish may be called coq au Chambertin, coq au riesling, or
coq au whatever wine you use for its cooking. It is made with cither white or
red wine, but the red is more characteristic. In France it is usually accompanied
only by parsley potatoes; buttered green peas could be included if you wish a

V

264

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

green vegetable. Serve with it a young, full-bodied red Burgundy, Beaujolais,
or Cotes du Rhone.

For 4 to 6 people

A 3- to 4-ounce chunk of Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons
lean bacon (rectangles / inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer

for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold
water. Dry.

A heavy, 10-inch, fireproof
casserole or an electric
skillet
2 Tb butter

Saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very
lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees for an
electric skillet) . Remove to a side dish.

2Z2 to 3 lbs. cut-up frying
chicken

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat
in the casserole (360 degrees for the electric skillet).

Z2 tsp salt
Zs tsp pepper

Season the chicken. Return the bacon to the casserole
with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 de-
grees) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

14 cup cognac Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your

face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake
the casserole back and forth for several seconds until
the flames subside.

3 cups young, full-bodied
red wine such as Bur-
gundy, Beaujolais, Cotes
du Rhone, or Chianti

1 to 2 cups brown chicken
stock, brown stock, or
canned beef bouillon

14 Tb tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

14 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough
stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the
tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to the simmer.
Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or un-
til the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yel-
low when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the
chicken to a side dish.

12 to 24 brown-braised on- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and
ions, page 483 mushrooms.

Z2 lb. sauteed mushrooms,
page 513

CHICKEN FRICASEE 2( ^5

Salt and pepper Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole

for a minute or two, skimming off fat. Then raise
heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about
2 1 / cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and
discard bay leaf.

3 Tb flour
2 Tb softened butter
A saucer
A rubber spatula
A wire whip

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth
paste ( beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot
liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stir-
ring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce
should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mush-
rooms and onions around it, and baste with the sauce.
(*) If the dish is not to be served immediately, film
the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small
pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered. It can now wait
indefinitely.

Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, basting
the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly
for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot through.

Sprigs of fresh parsley

Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter.
Decorate with sprigs of parsley.

BROILED CHICKEN

POULETS GRILLES A LA DIABLE

[Chicken Broiled with Mustard, Herbs, and Bread Crumbs]

Here is a fine method for broiled chicken which is good either hot or
cold. The chicken is partially cooked under the broiler, then smeared with
mustard and herbs, rolled in fresh bread crumbs, and returned to the broiler to
brown and finish cooking. A practical attribute is that it can be almost entirely
cooked ahead of time, set aside or refrigerated, and then finished off in the
oven. With the mustard dip, a sauce is not a necessity. But if you want one,
serve melted butter mixed with lemon juice and minced herbs, or sauce diable

266

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

(herbal brown sauce with shallots and wine), page 71 . Baked, whole tomatoes
and green beans would go well with it, and a chilled rose wine.

For 4 to 8 people

Preheat oven broiler to moderately hot.

Two ready-to-cook, 2*4-lb.
broilers, halved or quar-
tered

A saucepan containing 6 Tb
melted butter and 2 Tb
oil

A pastry brush
A broiling pan minus rack
Salt

Dry the chicken thoroughly, paint it with butter and
oil, and arrange it skin-side down in the bottom of
the broiling pan. Place it so that the surface of the
chicken is 5 to 6 inches from the hot broiling element
and broil 10 minutes on each side, basting every 5
minutes. '1 he chicken should be very lightly browned.
Salt it lightly.

6 Tb prepared mustard of
the strong Dijon type

3 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions

Z2 tsp thyme, basil, or tarra-
gon

Vs tsp pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 cups fresh, white crumbs
from homemade-type of
bread (make the crumbs
in an electric blender, 3 or
4 slices of bread at a time)

A broiling pan with rack

The rest of the basting fat

Blend the mustard with the shallots or onions, herbs,
and seasonings in a bowl. Drop by drop, beat in half
the basting fat to make a mayonnaiselike cream. Re-
serve the rest of the basting fat for later. Paint the
chicken pieces with the mustard mixture.

Pour the crumbs into a big plate, then roll the chicken
in the crumbs, patting them on so they will adhere.

Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down on the
rack in the broiling pan and dribble half the remain-
ing basting fat over them. Brown slowly for 10 min-
utes under a moderately hot broiler. Turn, baste with
the last of the fat, and brown to minutes more on the
other side. The chicken is done when the thickest
part of the drumstick is tender, and, when the meat is
pricked with a fork, the juices run clear yellow.

Transfer to a hot platter and serve.

CHICKEN BREASTS

267

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTES

If you wish to do most of the cooking in advance, brown the crumbed
chicken under the broiler for 5 minutes only on each side. It then may be
finished off several hours later, placed in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to
30 minutes. Do not allow it to overcook.

CHICKEN BREASTS
Supremes de Volatile

Breast of chicken when it is removed raw from one side of the bird in a
skinless, boneless piece is called a supreme. Each chicken possesses two of
them. If the upper part of the wing is left on, the supreme becomes a cotelette.
The breast of a cooked chicken is not a supreme, but a blanc de poulet, or white
meat of chicken. A supreme may be poached in butter in a covered casserole
a blanc, or sauteed or broiled with butter a brun. It is never, in good French
cooking, simmered in a liquid. The supreme is an easy morsel to cook, but at-
tention must be exercised to be sure it is not overdone, as even a minute too
much can toughen the meat and make it dry. The flesh of a perfectly cooked
supreme is white with the faintest pinky blush, its juices run clear yellow, and
it is definitely juicy. Its point of doneness is easily determined as it cooks.
Press the top of it with your finger; if it is still soft and yields slightly to the
touch, it is not yet done. As soon as the flesh springs back with gentle resilience,
it is ready. If there is no springiness, it is overcooked. As a supreme cooks in
only 6 to 8 minutes and may be served very simply, it can make an exquisite
quick meal.

PREPARING THE SUPREMES FOR COOKING

Choose whole or half breasts from a 2 / z - to 3-lb. fryer. Slip your fingers
between skin and flesh, and pull off the skin. Then cut against the ridge of die
breastbone to loosen the flesh from the bone. Disjoint the wing where it joins
the carcass and continue down along the rib cage, pulling flesh from bone as
you cut until the meat from one side of the breast separates from the bone in
one piece. Remove the wing. Cut and pull out the white tendon that runs about
two thirds of the way down the under side of the meat. Trim off any jagged
edges and flatten the supremes lightly with die side of a heavy knife. They are
now ready for cooking. If they are not to be used immediately, wrap in waxed
paper and refrigerate.

268

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

* SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE A BLANC

[Breast of Chicken with Cream]

Serve these with buttered asparagus tips, green peas, artichoke hearts, or
creamed spinach, a good risotto cooked in chicken stock, and a bottle of chilled
white Burgundy or Traminer.

For 4 people

4 supremes (boned breasts
from two fryers; see direc-
tions in paragraph preced-
ing recipe)

/ tsp lemon juice
l A tsp salt

Big pinch white pepper
A heavy, covered, fireproof
casserole about io inches
in diameter

A round of waxed paper io
inches in diameter and
buttered on one side
4 Tb butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub the supremes with drops of lemon juice and
sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter
in the casserole until it is foaming. Quickly roll the
supremes in the butter, lay the buttered paper over
them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. After 6
minutes, press top of supremes with your finger. If
still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When
the meat is springy to the touch it is done. Remove
the suprSmcs to a warm platter and cover while mak-
ing the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).

For the sauce:

x /4 cup white or brown stock
or canned beef bouillon
*4 cup port, Madeira, or dry
white vermouth

1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice as needed

2 Tb fresh minced parsley

Pour the stock or bouillon and wine into the casserole
with the cooking butter and boil down quickly over
high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and
boil down again over high heat until cream has thick-
ened slightly. Off heat, taste carefully for seasoning,
and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce
over the supremes, sprinkle with parsley, and serve
at once.

VARIATIONS

Supremes de Volatile Arcbiduc

[Chicken Breasts with Paprika, Onions, and Cream]

This is a delicious combination, the onions giving the chicken and the
sauce a subtle flavor, while the paprika lends fragrance and rosiness to the
finished dish.

CHICKEN BREASTS

269

% cup finely minced white
onions
5 Tb butter

1 Tb fragrant red paprika
Vs tsp salt

Drop the minced onions into boiling water for 1
minute. Drain, run cold water over them, and drain
again. Cook the onions with the salt, paprika, and
butter in the covered casserole for about 10 minutes
over very low heat until the onions are tender and
translucent, but not browned.

4 supremes and the sauce
ingredients in the preced-
ing master recipe

Following the master recipe, cook the supremes in the
onions, paprika, and butter. Remove when done,
leaving the onions in the casserole. Complete the
sauce, also as described in the master recipe.

Supremes de Volatile a I’Ecossaise

[Chicken Breasts with Diced Aromatic Vegetables and Cream]

The following vegetables Cook the diced vegetables slowly with the salt and
cut into neat y 16 -inch butter for about 10 minutes in the covered casserole

cubes, making % to Va until tender, but not browned,

cup in all:

1 medium carrot
1 to 2 tender celery stalks
1 medium white onion

Vs tsp salt
5 Tb butter

4 supremes and the sauce
ingredients in the master
recipe

Following the master recipe, cook the supremes in the
vegetables and butter. Remove them when done, leav-
ing the vegetables in the casserole. Complete the
sauce, as described in the master recipe.

Supremes de Volatile aux Champignons
[Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream]

5 Tb butter

1 Tb minced shallot or
green onion

Va lb. diced or sliced fresh
mushrooms
Vs tsp salt

Heat the butter in the casserole over moderate heat
until foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green
onion and saute a moment without browning. Then
stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute
or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.

270

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

4 supremes and the sauce Following the master recipe, cook the supremes in
ingredients in the master the mushrooms and butter. Remove when done, leav-
recipe ing the mushrooms in the casserole. Complete the

sauce, as described in the master recipe.

* SUPR&MES DE VOLAILLE A BRUN

[Chicken Breasts Sauteed in Butter]

Here the chicken breasts are lightly dusted with flour and are sauteed in
clarified butter. (Ordinary butter will burn and form black specks on the
supremes. Clarified butter may be heated to a higher temperature before burn-
ing.) A good accompaniment for this dish would be grilled or stuffed to-
matoes, buttered green peas or beans, and potato balls sauteed in butter. Serve
with it a red Bordeaux-Medoc.

For 4 people

4 supremes (boned breasts Just before sauteing, sprinkle the supremes with salt

from 2 fryers), page 267 and pepper, roll them in the flour, and shake off ex-

54 tsp salt cess flour.

Big pinch of pepper
1 cup flour spread on an 8-
inch plate

An 8- to 9-inch skillet
6 to 8 Tb clarified butter,
page 15 (note that you
will need 14 cup more for
your sauce)

A hot platter

Pour clarified butter into skillet to a depth of about
Vl6 inch. Set over moderately high heat. When the
butter begins to deepen in color very slightly, put in
the supremes. Regulate heat so butter is always hot
but does not turn more than a deep yellow. After 3
minutes, turn the supremes and saute on the other
side. In two minutes, press tops of supremes with
your finger. As soon as they are springy to the touch,
they are done. Remove to a hot platter, leaving the
butter in the skillet.

Brown Butter Sauce (Bcurre Noisette)

4 Tb clarified butter Add additional clarified butter to skillet and set over

3 Tb minced parsley moderately high heat until the butter has turned a

1 Tb lemon juice very light golden brown (a minute or two). Immed-

iately remove from heat, sir in parsley and lemon juice,
and taste for seasoning. Pour over the supremes and

serve.

CHICKEN BREASTS

271

VARIATIONS

Brown Deglazing Sauce with Wine

1 Tb minced shallot or
green onion

Zt cup port or Madeira
2 A cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon

2 Tb minced parsley

After removing the sauteed supremes, stir minced
shallot or onion into skillet and saute a moment. Then
pour in the wine and stock or bouillon and boil down
rapidly over high heat until liquid is lightly syrupy.
Pour over the supremes, sprinkle with parsley, and
serve.

Deglazing Sauce with Truffles

1 minced canned truffle and
the juice from its can
Ingredients for the preced-
ing brown deglazing
sauce minus the parsley

After sauteing the shallots or onions, as in the pre-
ceding master recipe, add the wine, stock or bouillon,
and the truffle and its juice. Boil down liquid until
syrupy, and pour over the supremes.

Supremes de V olaille a la Milanaise

[Chicken Breasts Rolled in Parmesan and Fresh Bread Crumbs]

4 supremes (boned breasts
from two fryers), page 267
*/4 tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper
1 cup flour spread on an 8-
inch plate

1 egg, Vs tsp salt, and Z2 tsp
olive oil beaten together in
an 8-inch soup plate
Z2 cup freshly grated Parme-
san cheese and Z2 cup fine,
white, fresh bread crumbs
mixed together in an 8-
inch dish

Season the supremes with salt and pepper. One at a
time, roll them in the flour and shake off excess. Dip
in beaten egg. Then roll in the cheese and bread
crumbs, patting them in place with the flat of a knife.
Lay the supremes on waxed paper and allow cheese
and bread crumbs to set for 10 to 15 minutes or several
hours.

Ingredients for brown but-
ter sauce, master recipe

Saute on both sides in clarified butter until resilient to
the pressure of your finger. Serve with brown butter
sauce as described in the master recipe.

272

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

DUCK

Canard - Caneton

Only the genuine duckling or caneton — a bird under 6 months old — is
good for roasting. Fortunately that is the only kind of duck you are liable to
find in any American market. It generally weighs 4% to 5% pounds ready to
cook, has been beautifully plucked and cleaned, and is usually frozen, a state
to which it takes much better than chicken. It needs only to be thawed out in
the refrigerator or in a basin of cold, running water, and it is ready for cooking.

A NOTE ON FRENCH DUCKS

While American commercially raised birds are usually of one variety—
the White Pekin — French ducks are of various breeds. These are: the nantais,
which rarely weighs over 3 pounds and is the most common table duckling;
the rouennais, famous as pressed duck; and the canard de barbaric, often older
and always larger, which is used for braising.

PREPARING A DUCK FOR ROASTING

Pull out all loose fat from the cavity and from around the neck. To make
the carving of the breast meat easier, cut out the wishbone. The lower part of
the wing is mostly bone; chop it off at the elbow and add it to the stock pot.
Be sure the fat glands on the back at the base of the tail have been removed;
dig out any yellow residue that may remain, and rub the area widi salt and
lemon juice. To help the layer of subcutaneous duck fat to escape during cook-
ing, prick the skin at ‘/ 2 -inch intervals along the thighs, the back, and the lower
part of the breast. After seasoning the cavity, or stuffing it, sew or skewer the
legs, wings, and neck skin to the body so die bird will make a neat appearance
on the table; see the illustrated directions for trussing a chicken on page 237,
which may be adapted for duck.

DUCK STOCK

The neck, heart, gizzard, and lower wings may be used for the making of
a duck stock. Follow the same method as for chicken stock, page 236.

CARVING NOTE

Duck has far more carcass and far less meat than a chicken of the same
weight; a 4 ‘/2-pound duck will serve only 4 or 5 people. The French method

DUCK

273

of carving is to make as many thin slices of breast meat as possible, 4 to 6 per
side, as follows: After the second joints and drumsticks have been removed, the
duck is turned on its side, its tail facing the carver. Thin slices of meat are cut
diagonally starting from tire lower part of the breast nearest the tail and run-
ning toward the breastbone. The same system is used for the other side, cutting
in the opposite direction.

ROASTING TIMETABLE

French taste is for ducks roasted to a medium rare — the juices run slightly
rosy when the meat is pricked. If the duck is to be served well done, its juices
should run clear yellow. Overcooked duck meat is brown, dry, and disappoint-
ing.

The following table is for unstuffed, unchilled duck. Add 20 to 30 minutes

to the times listed if the duck is stuffed.

READY'TO'COOK

WEIGHT

NUMBER OF
PEOPLE
SERVED

MEDIUM RARE WELL DONE

Oven at 350 degrees

3*/2 lbs.

3 or 4

65 to 70 minutes

1 hour and 1 5 to 25 minutes

4 Vi lbs.

4

1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes

1 hour and 25 to 35 minutes

5V2 lbs.

5 or 6

1 hour and 25 to 30 minutes

1 hour and 35 to 40 minutes

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Caneton aux petits pois, duckling with green peas, is one of the favorite
French combinations, especially in the spring. Other vegetable suggestions are
broccoli or Brussels sprouts, or braised lettuce, celery, celeriac, onions, or turnips.
Among starchy vegetables, if you wish to serve one, are braised or pureed chest-
nuts, potatoes mashed with celery root or turnips, or a puree of lentils or navy
beans.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve full red wine, such as Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-
Pape, or Bordeaux-St. Emilion. Or a chilled Alsatian Traminer.

274

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

* CANETON ROT!

[Roast Duckling]

For 5 to 6 people

Estimated roasting time: i hour and 20 to 40 minutes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

A 5k£-lb. ready-to-cook Season the inside of the duck with salt, pepper, herbs,
duckling and the sliced onion. Secure the legs, wings, and neck

54 tsp salt skin to the body. Prick the skin around the thighs,

54 tsp pepper back, and lower breast. Dry the duck thoroughly.

A pinch of thyme or sage
A small sliced onion

A shallow roasting pan just Place the duck breast up in the roasting pan, strew
large enough to hold the the vegetables around it, and set it in the middle
duck easily level of the oven for 15 minutes to brown lightly,

x medium sliced carrot
1 medium sliced onion

A bulb baster Reduce oven to 350 degrees, and turn the duck on its

side. Regulate heat so duck is always making cooking
noises but fat is not burning. Remove accumulated
fat occasionally (a bulb baster will suck it up easily).
Basting is not necessary.

About 30 minutes later, or about halfway through,
turn the duck on its other side.

54 tsp salt Fifteen minutes before the end of the estimated roast-

ing time, salt the duck and turn it breast up.

The duck is done to a medium rare if the juices from
the fattest part of the thigh or drumstick run faintly
rosy when the meat is pricked, and when the duck is
lifted and drained, the last drops of juice from the
vent are a pale rose. The duck is well done when the
juices run pale yellow.

When done, discard trussing strings, and place the
duck on a serving platter. Set in turned-off oven and
leave the door open while preparing the sauce, which
will take 3 to 4 minutes.

DUCK

275

1/2 to 2 cups brown duck
stock, beef stock, or
canned beef bouillon
Optional: 3 or 4 Tb port

Tilt the roasting pan and spoon out all but 1 table-
spoon of fat. Add the stock or bouillon and boil rap-
idly, scraping up coagulated roasting juices, and crush-
ing the vegetables, until liquid is reduced at least by
half. Correct seasoning. Add optional wine and sim-
mer a minute to evaporate its alcohol.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter Off heat and just before serving, swirl the butter into

the sauce and strain it into a sauceboat. Pour a bit of
sauce over the duck, and serve.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

Roast cluck may wait in the turned-off hot oven, its door ajar, for about
30 minutes before serving.

SPIT ROASTING

Duck does very well indeed on a rotary spit. Follow the directions for
spit-roasted chicken on page 242, but omit the bacon wrapping. No basting is
necessary. Roasting time is the same as for oven roasting on the chart, page 273.

VARIATIONS

Caneton Roti a I’Alsacienne

[Roast Duck with Sausage and Apple Stuffing]

Apples and duck are a fine combination, and sausages make it an even
better one. The platter may be garnished with more apples and sausages if you
wish, braised onions, and sauteed potatoes or potato crepes. A chilled Alsatian
Traminer would go well with it, or hard cider.

For 5 or 6 people

Estimated roasting time: 1 hour and 45 to 60 minutes
Sausage and apple stuffing

Vi lb. pork link sausages Saute the sausages in a skillet until they are lightly

browned. Drain them. Mash them roughly with a fork
in a mixing bowl.

4 or 5 crisp eating apples Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut the quarters

into 2 or 3 lengthwise segments. Saute them, a few at

27 6

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

a time, in the hot sausage fat in the skillet. They
should be very lightly browned, and almost tender,
but still retain their shape.

1 Tb sugar
% tsp cinnamon
*4 tsp salt
!4 tsp sage

2 Tb cognac

y 4 CU p port Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the wine and stock

y 4 cup stock or canned beef or bouillon and boil rapidly until liquid has reduced to
bouillon 2 or 3 tablespoons. Pour it over the cooked sausages.

When both apples and sausages have cooled, mix
them delicately together. Stuff loosely into the duck.
Sew or skewer the vent, truss the duck, and roast it
according to the preceding master recipe.

Place them on a platter and sprinkle with the season-
ings and cognac.

Caneton a I’Orange

[Roast Duck with Orange Sauce]

One of the most well known of all the duck dishes, caneton a V orange, is
roast duck decorated with fresh orange segments and accompanied by an
orange-flavored brown sauce. Its most important element is its sauce— a rich,
strong, meaty, duck essence darkened with caramel, flavored with wine and
orange peel, and given a light liaison of arrowroot. You can and should pre-
pare the sauce well ahead of time so that when the duck is roasted, the dish
is within 2 to 3 minutes of being done.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Nothing should interfere with the flavors of the duck, the sauce, and the
oranges. Sauteed or shoestring potatoes, or homemade potato chips are your
best choice. Serve a good red Bordeaux-Medoc, or a chilled white Burgundy—
Meursault, Montrachet, or Corton-Charlemagne.

For 5 or 6 people

Note: Under the ingredients needed for the sauce are 2 cups of excellent
duck stock. This should be prepared ahead of time, as it must simmer about 2
hours.

DUCK

277

Blanching the orange

4 brightly colored navel
oranges

Roasting the duc\

A 5 ! /i-lb. ready-to-cook
duckling
Zi tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

T he sauce base

A 4-cup saucepan
3 Tb granulated sugar
Z4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups strong, brown duck
stock (follow directions
for brown chicken stock,
page 236, using duck gib-
lets instead of chicken
giblets)

2 Tb arrowroot blended
with 3 Tb port or Madeira
The rest of the blanched
orange peel

The orange segments
The 4 oranges, skinned

Final assembly

Z2 cup port or Madeira

The prepared sauce base
2 or 3 Tb good orange
liqueur

peel

Remove the orange part of the skin in strips with a
vegetable peeler. Cut into julienne (small strips Yu;
inch wide and 1 / 2 inches long) . Simmer for 15 min-
utes in a quart of water. Drain. Pat dry in paper
towels.

Season the duck cavity with salt and pepper, add a
third of the prepared orange peel, and truss the duck.
Roast it according to the master recipe, page 274.

While the duck is roasting, make a sweet-and-sour
caramel coloring as follows : Boil the sugar and vine-
gar over moderately high heat for several minutes un-
til the mixture has turned into a mahogany-brown
syrup. Immediately remove from heat and pour in / 2
cup of the duck stock. Simmer for a minute, stirring,
to dissolve the caramel. Then add the rest of the stock,
beat in the arrowroot mixture, and stir in the orange
peel. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce is
clear, limpid, and lightly thickened. Correct seasoning,
and set aside.

Cut the 4 oranges into neat, skinless segments and
place in a covered dish.

When the duck is done, discard trussing strings, and
set it on a platter. Place it in the turned-off hot oven,
leaving the door ajar.

Remove as much fat as you can from the roasting pan.
Add the wine and boil it down rapidly, scraping up
coagulated roasting juices and reducing the liquid to
2 or 3 tablespoons.

Strain the wine reduction into the sauce base and
bring to the simmer. Stir in the orange liqueur by
spoonfuls, tasting. The sauce should have a pleasant

278

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

Drops of orange bitters or
lemon juice

orange flavor but not be too sweet. Add drops of
orange bitters or lemon juice as a corrective.

2 Tb softened butter

Just before serving, and off heat, swirl in the butter
enrichment, and pour the sauce into a warmed sauce-
boat.

Place a line of orange segments over the length of the
duck and heap the rest at the two ends of the platter.
Spoon a bit of sauce with peel over the duck, and
serve.

VARIATIONS

Caneton aux Cerises
Caneton Montmorency
[Roast Duck with Cherries]

Cherries or peaches are also good as a garnish for roast duck. Roast the
bird as directed in the master recipe, page 274. Make the caramel-colored and
arrowroot-thickened sauce described for the preceding caneton a Vorange,
omitting the orange peel and orange liqueur. The fruit is heated in the sauce
as follows:

36 to 48 red or black pitted
cherries (if frozen, thaw
and drain)

A 4-cup enameled saucepan
x Tb lemon juice
3 Tb port or cognac
2 to 3 Tb granulated sugar

Toss the cherries in the saucepan with the lemon juice,
port or cognac, and sugar. Let them soak for at least
20 to 30 minutes.

After the duck has roasted, and the pan juices have
been deglazed with wine and added to the sauce, pour
the sauce into the cherries. Heat to below the simmer
for 3 to 4 minutes to poach the cherries (if liquid
simmers, the fruit may shrivel). Remove the cherries
with a slotted spoon and distribute them over and
around the duck.

2 Tb softened butter

Boil the sauce rapidly to reduce and thicken it slightly.
Correct seasoning. Off heat, swirl in the enrichment
butter. Pour the sauce into a warmed bowl, spoon
a bit over the duck, and serve.

DUCK

2 79

Caneton aux Peches

[Roast Duck with Peaches]

3 large or 6 small, firm, ripe,
freestone peaches (or
drained canned peaches,
minus the sugar below)

2 Tb lemon juice
2 to 3 Tb port or cognac
2 to 3 Tb granulated sugar

If using fresh peaches, peel and halve them not more
than 30 minutes before serving so they will not dis-
color. Arrange the peaches in a fireproof dish and
baste them with the liquids and sugar. Baste several
times more before using.

After the duck has roasted and the pan juices have
been deglazed with wine and added to the sauce, pour
the sauce over the peaches. Proceed as for the pre-
ceding duck with cherries recipe.

* CANETON POELE AUX NAVETS

[Casserole-roasted Duck with Turnips]

In casserole roasting, the duck is browned on all sides, then set to roast
in a covered casserole. Cooked in its own steam, the duck’s flesh becomes
wonderfully tender, and the layer of subcutaneous fat is even more effectively
dissolved than by roasting. The turnips, which finish their cooking with the
duck absorbing cooking juices, are particularly succulent. No other vegetable
is necessary, but you could serve green peas or broccoli. A red Bordeaux,
Beaujolais, or Cotes du Rhone would be the choice of wines.

For 5 to 6 people.

Estimated roasting time: 1 hour and 20 to 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A 5 J /2-lb. ready-to-cook
duckling
V tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper

A heavy, oval casserole just
large enough to hold the
duck easily

3 Tb rendered fresh pork
fat or cooking oil

Season the inside of the duck with salt and pepper,
truss it, prick the skin around the thighs, back, and
lower part of the breast. Dry it thoroughly. Brown it
slowly on all sides in hot fat in the casserole — as for
browning a chicken, page 249.

28 o

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

Z2 tsp salt

A medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, V2 bay leaf,
and !4 tsp thyme tied in
washed cheesecloth

Pour out the browning fat. Salt the duck and place
it breast up in the casserole. Add the herb bouquet,
cover the hot casserole, and place it in the middle level
of the preheated oven. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes,
regulating heat so the duck is always making quiet
cooking noises. Basting is not necessary.

2 lbs. firm, crisp, white or
yellow turnips

While the duck is cooking, prepare the turnips: Peel
them and cut into large olive shapes about 1 % inches
long, or into %-inch dice. Drop into boiling, salted
water, and boil slowly for 5 minutes. Drain.

A bulb baster After the duck has roasted for 50 to 60 minutes, or 30

to 40 minutes before the end of its estimated cooking
time, degrease casserole with bulb baster. Arrange
the turnips around the duck, cover the casserole, and
return it to the oven. Baste turnips occasionally with
the juices in the casserole.

The duck is done when its juices run a pale rose for
medium rare, or a clear yellow for well done.

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley Drain the duck, discard trussing strings, and place it

on a hot platter. Remove the turnips with a slotted
spoon, arrange them around the duck, and decorate
with parsley. Degrease the cooking juices, correct
seasoning, pour into a warmed sauceboat, and serve.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

The duck, turnips, and degreased cooking juices can be returned to the
hot casserole. Set the cover askew, and keep it warm for 30 minutes in the
turned-off hot oven, or over barely simmering water.

VARIATIONS

Canard Braise avec Choucroute — ala Badoise

[Duck Braised in Sauerkraut]

Canard Braise aux Choux Rouges

[Duck Braised in Red Cabbage]

These two classic combinations are both done in the same way: after the
sauerkraut or cabbage is about two thirds braised, die browned duck is added

DUCK

28l

to cook in the casserole, and all ingredients benefit from their mutual exchange
of flavors. Parsley potatoes or braised chestnuts and a chilled Alsatian Traminer
go well with this.

For 5 or 6 people

Ingredients for 2 lbs. of Follow the recipe for braised sauerkraut or braised
braised sauerkraut, page red cabbage, and cook for 3 14 hours.

498, or braised red cab-
bage, page 496
A casserole large enough to
include the duck as well

A 5 1 /2-lb. ready-to-cook Season, truss, prick, and dry the duck. Brown it in
duckling hot fat as described in the preceding recipe. Salt it

and bury it in the casserole with the sauerkraut or
cabbage. Cover, and braise for about i [4 hours more,
or until the duck is done.

Parsley sprigs When done, remove the duck to a hot platter and

discard trussing strings. Lift out the sauerkraut or
cabbage, draining its juices back into the casserole,
and arrange it about the duck. Decorate with parsley.

Degrease the cooking juices. Set casserole over high
heat and boil rapidly until the liquid has reduced and
its flavor is concentrated. Strain into a sauceboat, pour
a spoonful over the duck, and serve.

CANETON BRAISE AUX MARRONS

[Braised Duck with Chestnut and Sausage Stuffing]

Follow the recipe for braised goose with chestnut and sausage stuffing,
page 285. Use the timetable for roast duck on page 273, adding 30 minutes more
because of the stuffing.

CANARD EN CROCTE

[Boned, Stuffed Duck Baked in a Crust]

This recipe is on page 571.

282

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

GOOSE

Oie

Goose, like duck, can only be considered gastronomically interesting when
it is under 6 months old, and that is probably the only kind you will find in
American markets. It usually comes frozen, and should be defrosted either in
the refrigerator or in a pan with cold, running water. It is prepared for cooking
like duck, page 272.

GOOSE FAT

Goose fat is extremely good as a saute or basting medium, or as a flavoring
for braised cabbage or sauerkraut. Once rendered, it will keep for weeks in the
refrigerator. To render the fat, pull out all the loose fat from inside the goose.
Chop it up into l / -inch pieces. Simmer it in a covered saucepan with 1 cup of
water for 20 minutes to draw the fat out of the tissues. Then uncover die pan
and boil the liquid slowly to evaporate the water. As the moisture evaporates,
the fat will make spluttering noises. As soon as these have stopped, the fat
is rendered, the liquid will be a pale yellow, and the fat particles will have
browned very lightly. Strain the liquid into a jar.

Frittons

Grattons

[Goose Cracklings]

The browned fat particles may be turned into a spread for croutons, toast,
or crackers. Pound them in a mortar or put them through the meat grinder.
Warm them briefly in a skillet and stir in salt, pepper, and allspice to taste.
Pack them into a jar. When cold, pour a [ 4 -' nc h layer of hot goose fat over
them to seal them. They will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

GOOSE STOCK

A good goose stock is easy to make with the gizzard, neck, heart, and
wing tips of the goose. The liver may be included, unless you wish to treat it
like chicken liver, or add it to your stuffing. Follow the general procedure for
chicken stock, page 236. It should simmer for 2 hours or so.

GOOSE

283

STUFFINGS FOR GOOSE

Goose may be cooked with or without a stuffing. Besides the prune and
foie gras, and the chestnut stuffing, both of which are described in the pages
following, another good one for goose is the apple and sausage mixture in the
Duck section, page 275. Count on / to 1 cup of stuffing for each ready-to-cook
pound of goose. An 8-lb. bird, for instance, will take 6 to 8 cups of stuffing.
Although you may prepare a stuffing ahead of time, never stuff the goose until
just before cooking, or both goose and stuffing may spoil.

TIMETABLE FOR ROAST OR BRAISED GOOSE
The following table is based on unstuffed, unchilled goose cooked to the
well-done stage — when its juices run pale yellow. Be sure not to overcook your
goose, or the breast meat especially will be dry and disappointing. You will
see in the table that the larger the goose, the less time per pound it takes to
cook. A 9-lb. goose requires about 2 hours, and a i2]4-lb. bird, only about 30
minutes longer. The best sizes to buy are from 9 to 11 lbs.; larger geese may be
a bit older and tougher. Oven temperature for roasting is 350 degrees; for
braising, 325 degrees. A meat thermometer should register 180 degrees.

READY-TO-COOK

NUMBER OF

WEIGHT

PEOPLE SERVE

8 lbs.

6

9 lbs.

6 to 8

9 14 lbs.

8 to 9

io !4 lbs.

9 to 10

1 1 14 lbs.

10 to 12

1 2 14 lbs.

12 to 14

APPROXIMATE TOTAL
COOKING TIME
(unstuffed goose) *

1 hour and 50 to 55 minutes
About 2 hours

2 hours and 10 to 15 minutes
2 hours and 15 to 20 minutes
2 hours and 20 to 30 minutes
2 hours and 30 to 40 minutes

* For a stuffed goose, add from 20 to 40 minutes to the times given.

OlE rOtie aux pruneaux

[Roast Goose with Prune and Foie Gras Stuffing]

Goose is roasted exactly like duck, the only exception being that die goose
is basted every 15 to 20 minutes with boiling water to help in the dissolution

284

CHAPTER Six: POULTRY

of its subcutaneous fat, which is more copious for goose than for duck. Prunes
and goose are an exceptionally fine combination. With the goose you can serve
braised onions and chestnuts, and a full red wine such as a Burgundy or
Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

For 6 to 8 people.

Estimated roasting time: About 2 l / 2 hours

Note: A good brown goose stock will give you an excellent sauce, but it
must be prepared in advance; see preceding remarks.

Prune and foie gras stuffing

40-50 “tenderized” prunes Soak the prunes in hot water for 5 minutes. Pit them

as neatly as possible.

1 cup white wine or % cup
dry white vermouth

2 cups brown goose stock,
brown stock, or canned
beef bouillon

Simmer them slowly in a covered saucepan with the
wine and stock or bouillon for about 10 minutes, or
until they are just tender. Drain them and reserve
the cooking liquid.

The goose liver, minced
2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions
1 Tb butter

Saute the goose liver and shallots or onions in butter,
using a small skillet, for 2 minutes. Scrape into a mix-
ing bowl.

Vi cup port

Boil the wine in the same skillet until it is reduced to
2 tablespoons. Scrape it into the mixing bowl with the
liver.

Zi cup or 4 ounces of foie
gras (goose liver), or
very good liver paste
Pinch: allspice and thyme
2 to 3 Tb breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Blend the foie gras or liver paste and flavorings into
the mixing bowl with die sauteed liver. If mixture
seems too soft for easy stuffing, beat in breadcrumbs.
Taste carefully for seasoning. Fill each prune with a
teaspoon of the stuffing.

Preheat oven to 425 derees.

A 9-lb. ready-to-cook young
roasting goose
1 tsp salt

Salt the cavity of the goose. Stuff it loosely with the
prunes. Sew or skewer the vent. Secure the legs, wings,
and neck skin to the body. Prick the skin over the

GOOSE

A shallow roasting pan

Boiling water
A bulb baster

285

thighs, back, and lower breast. Dry thoroughly, and
set it breast up in the roasting pan.

Following directions for roast duck, page 274, brown
the goose for 15 minutes in the hot oven. Turn goose
on its side, lower heat to 350 degrees, and continue
roasting. Baste every 15 to 20 minutes with 2 or 3
tablespoons of boiling water, and remove excess ac-
cumulated fat. A bulb baster is useful for this; tilt the
pan and suck the fat out. Turn goose on its other side
at the halfway mark, and on its back 15 minutes be-
fore the end. The goose should be done in 2 hours and
20 to 30 minutes, when the drumsticks move slightly
in their sockets, and, when the fleshiest part of one is
pricked, the juices run a pale yellow. Do not allow
the goose to overcook or the meat will dry out.

When done, discard trussing strings and set the goose
on a platter.

The prune cooking juices
Optional: /} to V2 cup port
Salt and pepper
2 Tb softened butter

Tilt the pan and spoon out the fat, but leave the
brown roasting juices. Pour in the prune cooking
juices and optional port. Boil down rapidly, scraping
up coagulated roasting juices, until liquid has reduced
and is full of flavor. Correct seasoning. Off heat and
just before serving, swirl in the enrichment butter by
bits. Pour into a warmed sauceboat, spoon a bit of
sauce over the goose, and serve.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

Roast goose may wait for 30 to 40 minutes in the turned-off hot oven with
its door ajar.

OIE BRA1SEE AUX MARRONS

[Braised Goose with Chestnut and Sausage Stuffing]

There are many who prefer braised goose to roast goose because the meat
is more tender and more flavorful, and the closed, moist cooking of a braise
renders out more fat than open-pan roasting. A good combination to go with
this would be more chestnuts, either braised or pureed, and braised lettuce,
onions or leeks. Brussels sprouts, or braised green or red cabbage are other

286

CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY

choices. Serve a red Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, or
chilled Alsatian Traminer.

For a 9-lb. bird, serving 8 to 10 people — because of the meat stuffing
the goose will go further.

Estimated roasting time: 2*4 hours

Sausage and chestnut stuffing ( 8 cups )

i /4 pounds of fresh chest-
nuts, or 4 cups of drained,
canned, and unsweetened
chestnuts

If using fresh chestnuts, peel them, and simmer them
in stock and seasonings as described on page 518.
Drain, and allow them to cool.

4 cups of the fresh ground Prepare the stuffing and beat the sauteed liver into it.
veal and pork stuffing de- Saute a spoonful to check seasoning,
scribed on page 565
The goose liver, chopped,
and sauteed in butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

A 9-lb. ready-to-cook young
roasting goose
Vz tsp salt

A shallow roasting pan

Season the cavity of the goose with salt. Starting with
the meat stuffing, loosely pack alternate layers of
stuffing and of chestnuts into the goose, leaving a good
inch of unfilled space at the vent. Sew or skewer the
vent, truss the goose, and prick its skin. Dry it thor-
oughly, and set it breast up in the roasting pan.

Brown the goose lightly in the hot oven for 15 to 20
minutes, turning it several times so it will color evenly.

1 tsp salt

A covered roaster just large
enough to hold the goose
easily

Salt the goose and place it breast up in the roaster.
Turn oven down to 325 degrees.

The goose neck, wing tips, Brown the goose bits and vegetables in hot fat in the
gizzard, and heart skillet.

i !4 cup sliced onions
Vz cup sliced carrots
4 Tb rendered goose fat,
rendered fresh pork fat, or
cooking oil
A skillet

GOOSE

287

6 Tb flour Stir the flour into the skillet and brown slowly for

several minutes.

4 cups boiling brown stock Off heat, blend in the boiling stock or bouillon, and
or canned beef bouillon then the wine. Simmer for a moment. Then pour the
3 cups dry white wine or 2 -contents of the skillet into the roaster around the
cups dry white vermouth goose. Add additional stock if necessary, so liquid

reaches about one third the way up the goose.

Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover, and
set in the middle level of the preheated 325-degree
oven.

A bulb baster Braise for about 2 hours and 20 to 30 minutes, regulat-

ing oven heat so liquid simmers very quietly. Basting
is not necessary. Accumulated fat may be removed
occasionally with the bulb baster. The goose is done
when its drumsticks move slightly in their sockets,
and, when their fleshiest part is pricked, the juices run
pale yellow.

Remove the goose to a serving platter and discard
trussing strings.

Salt and pepper to taste Skim the fat out of the roaster (degreasing directions

54 to 14 cup port are on page 12), boil the cooking liquid down rap-

idly until it has thickened enough to coat a spoon
lightly. Correct seasoning. Stir in the port and sim-
mer a minute or two to evaporate its alcohol. Strain
the sauce into a bowl or a saucepan, pressing juice out
of the ingredients. You should have about 5 to 6 cups
of sauce. Pour a spoonful over the goose, and serve. (*)

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

For a 30- to 40-minute wait, return the goose to the roaster, and set the
cover askew. Place in turned-off hot oven with its door ajar, or over barely
simmering water.

CHAPTER SEVEN

MEAT

Viandes

Faced with the awesome problem of what to choose from among the
wonderful store of French recipes for beef, lamb, pork, ham, sweetbreads, kid-
neys, liver, and brains, we have picked those which seemed to us especially
French, or of particular interest to American cooks. We have not gone into
roast beef or broiled chops as they are practically the same everywhere. Besides
numerous traditional dishes, we have included a number of French regional
recipes for ragouts, stews, and daubes; their comparative economy and ease of
execution, in addition to their robust flavors, make them most appealing.

For those who have collections of original French recipes, or who are liv-
ing in France, we have in most instances given translations, approximations,
or explanations of French meat cuts. Cross-cultural comparisons are a maze of
complication as the systems of the two countries are entirely different: the
French cut meat following muscle separations, while American butchers usu-
ally cut across the grain. Identification is made more confusing as different re-
gions in each country use different names for the same cuts. We have used the
Chicago terminology for American cuts, and the Paris terminology for French
cuts. (A very good illustrated booklet on American meat cuts and their identi-
fication, called Meat Manual, may be obtained for 25 cents by writing to The
National Livestock and Meat Board, 407 South Dearborn Street, Chicago,
Illinois.)

BEEF

Boeuf

Any cook or housewife is well advised to learn as much as possible about
grades and cuts of beef, as a vague beef-buyer is open to countless unnecessary

BEEF STEAKS

289

disappointments and expenses. Both the grade of beef and the cut determine
the cooking method. Beef carcasses are divided into five grades which are rated
according to the form and shape of the carcass, the amount and distribution of
fat, and the color and quality of the flesh, fat, and bone. Some packers use their
own wording. Federal meat inspectors use Prime, Choice, Good, Commercial,
and Utility in descending order, and stamp the grade on the beef so it is visible
for each retail cut. Grade is an indication of flavor and tenderness especially for
roasting and broiling cuts. A Choice or Prime sirloin steak or roast will be
more tender and juicy than one graded Good because the flesh of the latter is
less marbled with fat. Chuck or rump from a Good carcass will be quite tough
when roasted, while the same cut from a Choice carcass should be reasonably
tender. However, both cuts are suitable for braising, so there is no reason to
buy Prime beef when Good will do. At most retail markets, the higher grades
used for roasting and broiling are aged from three to six weeks to improve
their flavor and tenderness.

The best way to learn beef cuts is step by step, or cut by cut. You could
begin by peering closely at sirloin steaks every time you go into a market. Is
the flesh cherry red and marbled with little veins of fat, and is the surrounding
fat creamy white and firm ? If so, it is a Choice or Prime steak. Is it a double-
bone or round-bone sirloin — the two best cuts, or is it from the wedge-bone or
pinbone end ? When you feel you have mastered the sirloin, you might move
to the leg, familiarizing yourself with top round, bottom round, and sirloin
tip. Then proceed to other cuts. Ask questions. Your butcher will be much
more interested in serving you well if you show interest in learning about his
meat.

STEAKS

Biftec\s

French and American methods for cutting up a beef carcass are so dis-
similar that it is rarely possible to find in America the same steak cut you could
find in France. But this is a point of small significance as the various steak rec-
ipes differ from one another only in their sauces, butters, or garnitures.

In France the tenderloin or filet, which runs from the thirteenth rib to
the rump, is usually removed in one piece. Then the loin strip, under which
the filet was cut, is boned and used for steaks or roasts. Thus there is neither
short loin nor sirloin left intact, and consequently no T-bone, porterhouse, or

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

290

sirloin steak. The best part of the rib-roast section is usually boned and cut into
rib steaks called entrecotes.

CUTS FOR STEAK

Since you often find French steak names on a menu, here is a list explain-
ing them.

Entrecote. Rib steak, or rib eye steak, from the rib-roast section, ribs 9 to
11. Delmonico or club steak, cut from the rib end of the short loin, is a near
equivalent.

Romstecl{, or Rumstec\. Rump steak, cut from the end of a rump which
faces the sirloin. Rump steaks must be from a well aged Prime or Choice car-
cass to be tender.

Faux Filet, or Contre Filet. Loin strip steak, or strip steak, corresponds to
the loin part of a porterhouse or T-bone steak rather than to die tenderloin
part. Top-quality strip steaks are rarely available in American retail markets
because of the heavy call for porterhouse and T-bone steaks. Delmonico or club
steak is practically equivalent.

Biftec\. Tenderloin butt, or New York butt, cut from the larger and less
tender end of die filet, which also makes up the best part of a sirloin steak. In
France the term biftec\ can also include any lean, boneless steak such as a
trimmed Delmonico, club, strip, or rump steak, or a tender steak from the
round or chuck. We shall also include T-bone, porterhouse, and sirloin as
bifteckjs.

FILET OF BEEF

If the flet is taken from a large Choice or Prime carcass, the meat should
be 3*4 to 4 inches in diameter at the heart, and the slices delicately marbled
with fat. Because most butchers reserve their best beef carcasses for T-bone and

Whole Filet of Beef

BEEF STEAKS

291

porterhouse steaks, it is not always possible to find a filet of this size and
quality.

Untrimmed Center Cut
of Filet, the Chateau-
briand Section

Biftec\, or tenderloin butt, is considered to be the less tender part of die
filet and is classified in the preceding list of steaks.

Tournedos Wrapped in a
Strip of Porf Fat

Chateaubriand (which can also be spelled with a final “t” rather than
d”) corresponds to the tenderloin portion of a Choice or Prime porterhouse
steak. It is cut 2 inches thick, should weigh a pound or more before trimming,
and is always broiled or grilled. A thinner steak cut from this portion of the
tenderloin is called a filet.

Tournedos and filet mignons, which become progressively smaller near
the tail of the filet, correspond to the tenderloin of T-bone steaks.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Widi all but die filet steaks, which are discussed separately, serve a good,
rather young red wine with a certain amount of body, such as a Cotes du
Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Rmilion, or Beaujolais.

292

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Biftecl{ et pommes frites are just as popular in France as steak and baked
potatoes are in America. A good change from the old rhythm would be the
garlic mashed potatoes on page 520, or one of the scalloped potato casseroles
on pages 523 to 526, or potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526. Vegetables which
would go well include the following:

Buttered green peas, page 462, or beans, page 444, or Brussels sprouts,
pages 449 to 455

Baked or stuffed tomatoes, pages 506 to 508
Broiled or stuffed mushrooms, pages 512 and 516
Ratatouille, egg plant casserole, page 503
Turnips, including the excellent casserole on page 488
Braised celery, leeks, or lettuce, pages 489 to 496

Here are some of the classical French vegetable garnitures for a steak
platter:

Beauharnais, stuffed mushrooms, page 516, artichoke hearts cooked in
butter, page 431

Braban^onne, Brussels sprouts with cheese sauce, page 453, potato balls
sauteed in butter, page 528

Catalane, stuffed tomatoes, page 507, artichoke hearts cooked in butter,
page 431

Chartres, stuffed mushrooms, page 516, braised lettuce, page 489
Choron, artichoke hearts filled with buttered peas, page 431, potato balls
sauteed in butter, page 528

Maillot, glazed turnips, page 488, carrots, page 479, and onions, page 483,
with braised lettuce, page 489, and buttered green peas and beans

Scvigne, braised lettuce, page 489, broiled mushrooms, page 512, potatoes
sauteed in butter, page 526

* BIFTECK SAUTE AU BEURRE

[Pan-broiled Steak]

Pan-broiled steak is very French and also a very nice method for cooking
small steaks. None of the juice essences are lost, and it is easy to tell when the
steak is done.

A i-inch steak takes 8 to 10 minutes to cook, and the sauce, or pan gravy,

BEEF STEAKS

293

i to 2 minutes to prepare after the steak is on its platter. The sauce, you will
observe, is a deglazing of the pan with stock, wine, or water, and a swish of
butter at the end. It is purely an extension of the pan juices, and amounts to
only 1 or 2 tablespoons of buttery, concentrated essence per serving.

KIND OF STEAK TO BUY

In France you would select an entrecote, romsteef, faux-filet, or bifteef.
In America buy any tender, well-aged %- to i-inch steak or steaks which will
fit easily into a skillet such as:

Club or Delmonico Small Sirloin Tenderloin Butt

T-Bone Loin Strip Steak Rump Steak

Porterhouse Rib Steak Chuck Steak

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of boneless steak will serve 2 people, 3 if the rest of the menu
is copious. For large sirloins, T-bones, and porterhouse steaks, count on about
% pound per person.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

circumference of die
the fat and the meat,
the steak thoroughly

For 4 to 6 people, depending on your menu

Trim off excess fat. Cut small incisions around the
steak wherever there is a layer of gristle, usually between
This will prevent the steak from curling as it cooks. Dry
on paper towels. It will not brown if it is moist.

One or two heavy skillets
just large enough to hold
the meat easily in one
layer

1/2 Tb butter and 1V2 Tb
oil, or rendered fresh beef
suet, more if needed
2 to 2V2 lbs. steak % to 1
inch thick

Put the butter and oil, or beef suet, in the skillet and
place over moderately high heat until you see the
butter foam begin to subside, or the beef fat almost
smoking; this indicates the fat is hot enough to sear
the meat. Saute the steak on one side for 3 to 4 min-
utes, and regulate the heat so the fat is always very
hot but is not burning. Turn the steak and saute the
other side for 3 to 4 minutes. The steak is done to a
medium rare (a point) the moment you observe a
little pearling of red juice beginning to ooze at the
surface of the steak. Another test is to press the steak
with your finger; it is medium rare when it just be-
gins to take on a suggestion of resistance and spring
in contrast to its soft raw state. If you have any
doubts at all, cut a small incision in the steak.

294

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

A hot platter Remove the steak to a hot platter and season it

Salt and pepper quickly with salt and pepper. Keep warm for a mo-

ment while completing the sauce.

Z2 cup stock, canned beef
bouillon, red wine, dry
white wine, dry white
vermouth, or water
2 to 3 Tb softened butter

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the liquid, and
set the skillet over high heat. Scrape up coagulated
juices with a wooden spoon while rapidly boiling
down the liquid until it is reduced almost to a syrup.
Off heat, swirl the butter into the liquid until it is
absorbed; the butter will thicken the liquid into a
light sauce. Pour the sauce over the steak and serve.

VARIATIONS: FLAVORED BUTTERS

Any of the following are delicious when beaten into your sauce in place
of plain butter. They are simply butters creamed with flavorings. If you are
serving a broiled steak, spread one of the butters over it just before taking it to
die table.

Parsley Butter, page 102
Herb Butter, page 102
Mustard Butter, page 100
Shallot Butter, page 103
Garlic Butter, page 101

Snail Butter (with shallot, garlic, and herbs), page 103

VARIATIONS

Bifteck Saute Bercy

[Pan-broiled Steak, with Shallot and White Wine Sauce]

For broiled steak, use a beurre Bercy, page 103, and spread it over the
steak just before serving.

For 4 to 6 people, depending on your menu

2 to 2V2 lbs. steak Saute the steak as described in the master recipe and

1 Tb butter remove it to a hot platter. Pour the fat out of the

3 Tb minced shallots or skillet. Add the butter. Stir in the shallots or onions

and cook slowly for a minute.

green onions

BEEF STEAKS

295

Vi cup dry white wine or Pour the wine into the skillet and boil it down rap-
dry white vermouth idly, scraping up the coagulated juices from the bot-

tom of the pan until the liquid has reduced almost to
a syrup.

4 to 6 Tb softened butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb diced,
poached beef marrow,
page 19

Off heat, beat in the butter a spoonful at a time until
it is absorbed and has thickened the sauce. Beat in
salt and pepper to taste, then the parsley. Fold in the
optional beef marrow. Spread sauce over the steak
and serve.

Bifteck Saute March and de Vins
Bifteck Saute a la Bordelaise
[Pan-broiled Steak with Red Wine Sauce]

Use the same procedure described for the preceding Bercy sauce, but sub-
stitute red wine for white. If you add the optional beef marrow, the sauce
becomes a bordelaise.

Bifteck Saute Bearnaise

[Pan-broiled Steak with Bearnaise Sauce]

For 4 to 6 people, depending on your menu

2 to 2/2 lbs. steak
Zz cup brown stock, canned
beef bouillon, dry white
wine, or dry white ver-
mouth.

% cup sauce bearnaise,
page 84

Saute the steak as described in the master recipe, pre-
ceding. Deglaze skillet with stock, bouillon, or wine,
boiling it down rapidly to reduce it to i54 spoonfuls.
Beat the liquid by droplets into the sauce bearnaise.

Sauteed or fried potatoes
Fresh water cress
A warmed sauceboat

Decorate the steak platter with sauteed or fried po-
tatoes and fresh water cress. Serve the sauce in a
warmed sauceboat.

296

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Steak au Poivre

[Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce]

Steal{ au poivre can be very good when it is not so buried in pepper and
doused with flaming brandy that the flavor of the meat is utterly disguised. In
fact, we do not care at all for flaming brandy with this dish; it is too reminis-
cent of restaurant show-off cooking for tourists. And the alcohol taste, as it is
not boiled off completely, remains in the brandy, spoiling the taste of the meat.
For 4 to 6 people, depending on your menu

2 Tb of a mixture of several Place the peppercorns in a big mixing bowl and crush
kinds of peppercorns, or them roughly with a pestle or the bottom of a bottle,
white peppercorns

2 to 2/2 lbs. steak % to 1 Dry the steaks on paper towels. Rub and press the
inch thick crushed peppercorns into both sides of the meat with

your fingers and the palms of your hands. Cover with
waxed paper. Let stand for at least half an hour; two
or 3 hours are even better, so the flavor of the pepper
will penetrate the meat.

A hot platter
Salt

Saute the steak in hot oil and butter as described in
the preceding master recipe. Remove to a hot plat-
ter, season with salt, and keep warm for a moment
while completing the sauce.

1 Tb butter

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Z2 cup stock or canned beef
bouillon
Vi cup cognac

3 to 4 Tb softened butter
Sauteed or fried potatoes
Fresh water cress

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the butter and
shallots or green onions and cook slowly for a minute.
Pour in the stock or bouillon and boil down rapidly
over high heat while scraping up the coagulated cook-
ing juices. Then add the cognac and boil rapidly for
a minute or two more to evaporate its alcohol. Off
heat, swirl in the butter a half-tablespoon at a time.
Decorate the platter with the potatoes and water cress.
Pour the sauce over the steak, and serve.

FILET STE AKS-TENDERLOIN STEAKS

Filets, Tournedos, Filet Mignons

Filets, tournedos, and filet mignons are steaks 1 inch thick cut from the
filet of beef as illustrated on page 290. The filet, the largest, should be 3 to 1/

FILET STEAKS

297

inches in diameter, the tournedos about 2/2 inches, and the filet mignon can
be as small as i l / z inches. Since they are all cooked and served in the same way,
we shall refer to all three as tournedos in French, and as filet steaks in English.
Filet steaks are trimmed of all fat and surrounding filament. The circum-
ference is usually wrapped in a strip of fresh pork fat or blanched bacon, and
tied with string so the steaks will keep their neat circular shape while they are
being cooked. The string is removed before serving and also, if you wish, die
strip of fat or bacon. Although filet steaks may be broiled, they are usually
sauteed quickly in hot butter to a nice brown on the outside and a juicy red
inside.

Filet steaks may be sauced and served exactly like the beefsteaks in the
preceding recipes, but because of dieir expense they are usually surrounded
with fine wines and truffles or other elaborations. They cook in 8 to 10 min-
utes, and the sauce takes about 2 minutes, so you can afford to spend a bit of
time on the vegetables and garniture you wish to serve with diem. Here are
three classical combinations. See also the vegetable suggestions for steak on
page 292.

* TOURNEDOS SAUTES AUX CHAMPIGNONS
TOURNEDOS SAUTES CHASSEUR

[Filet Steaks with Mushroom and Madeira Sauce]

A handsome presentation for these steaks would be a platter decorated
with whole baked tomatoes, artichoke hearts cooked in butter, and potato
balls sauteed in butter. Serve with them a good red Bordeaux from the Medoc
district.

For 6 steaks

6 crustless rounds of white
bread, 2/2 inches in di-
ameter and :! /i c, inch thick
3 to 4 Tb clarified butter,
page 15

V2 lb. fresh mushrooms,
whole if very small, quar-
tered if large

Saute bread rounds in hot clarified butter to brown
very lightly on each side. Reheat them for a minute
in a 350-degree oven just before serving.

Saute mushrooms in hot butter and oil for 5 minutes
to brown them lightly. Stir in the shallots or onions

298

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2 Tb butter

1 Tb oil

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

/ tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

6 filet steaks 1 inch thick
and 2/2 inches in diame-
ter, each wrapped in a
strip of fat as illustrated
on page 291

2 Tb butter, more if needed

1 Tb oil

1 or 2 heavy skillets just
large enough to hold the
steaks easily

Salt and pepper

A warm serving platter

/ cup stock or canned beef
bouillon

1 Tb tomato paste

!4 cup Madeira mixed with
/ Tb of arrowroot or
cornstarch

2 Tb minced parsley, tarra-
gon and chervil, or parsley
only

and cook slowly for a minute or 2 more. Season, and
set aside.

Dry the steaks on paper towels. Place the butter and
oil in the skillet and set over moderately high heat.
When you see the butter foam begin to subside, indi-
cating it is hot enough to sear and brown the steaks,
saute them for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. They are
medium rare if, when pressed with your finger, they
offer a suggestion of resistance in contrast to their
soft, raw state.

Immediately remove from heat. Discard the strings
and, if you wish, the strip of fat. Season quickly with
salt and pepper. Place each steak on a canape, and
keep warm for several minutes while preparing the
sauce.

Pour the fat out of the skillet; stir in the stock or
bouillon and tomato paste. Boil rapidly, scraping up
the coagulated cooking juices, until liquid is reduced
to 2 or 3 tablespoons.

Pour in the starch and wine mixture; boil rapidly for
a minute to evaporate the alcohol and to thicken the
sauce lightly. Then add the sauteed mushrooms and
simmer a minute more to blend flavors. Correct sea-
soning. Spread the sauce and mushrooms over the
steaks, sprinkle with herbs, and serve.

VARIATIONS

Tournedos Henri IV

[Filet Steaks with Artichoke Hearts and Bearnaise Sauce]
For 6 steaks

FILET STEAKS

299

6 filet steaks sauteed in oil
and butter

6 canapes (rounds of white
bread sauteed in clarified
butter, page 199)

Zt cup Madeira, dry white
wine, or dry white ver-
mouth

Zt cup beef stock or canned
beef bouillon

6 fresh artichoke hearts
cooked in butter, page 431
% to 1 cup sauce bearnaise,
page 84

Potato balls sauteed in but-
ter, page 528, and rolled in
2 Tb minced parsley
Asparagus tips cooked in
butter, page 438

Saute the steaks as described in the master recipe. Sea-
son and place on canapes on a hot platter. Keep warm
for a few minutes. Pour saute fat out of skillet, add
wine and stock or bouillon, and boil down rapidly re-
ducing liquid to 3 tablespoons while scraping coagu-
lated saute juices into it. Spoon liquid over steaks.
Top each steak with a hot artichoke heart filled with
bearnaise. Decorate platter with the hot potatoes and
asparagus. Serve immediately.

Tournedos Rossini

[Filet Steaks with Artichoke Hearts, Foie Gras, Truffles, and Madeira

Sauce]

A platter of tournedos Rossini takes tire filet steak about as far as it can
go. Were you living in France during the midwinter, your foie gras and
truffles would, of course, be fresh. You may use canapes rather than artichoke
bottoms as a bed for the steaks, but it seems too bad to compromise at all in
this dish.

Fitting accompaniments would be potato balls sauteed in butter, but-
tered peas, asparagus tips, or braised lettuce, and an excellent, chateau-bottled
red Bordeaux from the Medoc district.

For 6 steaks

3 large, fresh artichoke Slice each cooked artichoke heart in two, horizontally,
hearts cooked in a blanc, Season with salt, pepper, and melted butter. Place in a
page 430 covered dish. Fifteen minutes before serving, heat

Salt and pepper them in a 350-degree oven.

3 Tb melted butter

300

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

6 slices canned “block”
foie gras, Zi inch thick
and about 1Z2 inches in
diameter

2 Tb Madeira

3 Tb rich stock, mushroom
essence, page 512, or
canned beef bouillon

18 to 24 slices of canned
truffle, Yic inch thick

2 Tb Madeira

Pinch of pepper

1 Tb butter

6 filet steaks 1 inch thick
and 2Z2 inches in diameter

Salt and pepper

A warm serving platter

Z2 cup stock or canned
bouillon

Juice from the foie gras
and truffles

1 tsp arrowroot or corn-
starch blended with 2 Tb
Madeira
Salt and pepper
3 to 4 Tb softened butter

Place the foie gras slices in a covered dish and baste
with the Madeira and stock, essence, or bouillon. Ten
minutes before serving, set over barely simmering wa-
ter to heat through gently.

Place the truffle slices and their juices in a small sauce-
pan with the Madeira, pepper, and butter. Five min-
utes before serving, warm over gentle heat.

Saute the steaks as directed in the master recipe on
page 297. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the hot artichoke bottoms on the serving
platter and place a steak on each. Over each steak lay
a warm slice of foie gras, and top with slices of truffle.
Decorate the platter with whatever vegetables you
have chosen, and keep warm for 2 to 3 minutes while
finishing the sauce.

Pour the fat out of the steak skillet. Pour in the stock
or bouillon, and the juices from the foie gras and
truffles. Boil down rapidly, scraping up all coagulated
juices, until liquid has reduced by half. Pour in the
starch and wine mixture and simmer for a minute.
Correct seasoning. Off heat, swirl in the butter. Pour
the sauce over the steaks and serve.

GROUND BEEF-HAMBURGERS

Biftec\ Hache

Shock is the reaction of some Americans we have encountered who learn
that real French people living in France eat hamburgers. They do eat them,

HAMBURGER

301

and when sauced with any of die suggestions in die following recipes, the
French hamburger is an excellent and relatively economical main course for
an informal party. Serve with them the same types of red wines and vegetables
listed for steaks on page 291-2.

The best hamburgers are made from the leanest beef. Actually some of
the least expensive cuts, chuck and neck, are the most flavorful. Top sirloin,
rump, and round are really second choice for hamburgers although they are
more expensive. Be fussy in choosing your meat; have all the fat and sinews
removed, and have it ground before your eyes or better, grind it yourself. The
fat content of hamburger should be only 8 to 10 per cent, or 1% to i / 2 ounces
per pound. This may be in the form of butter, ground beef suet, beef marrow,
or ground fresh pork fat.

* BIFTECK HACHE A LA LYONNAISE

[Ground Beef with Onions and Herbs]

For 6 hamburgers

% cup finely minced yellow
onions
2 Tb butter

Cook the onions slowly in the butter for about 10 min-
utes until very tender but not browned. Place in a
mixing bowl.

1 V2 lbs. lean, ground beef
2 Tb softened butter, ground
beef suet, beef marrow, or
fresh pork fat
1/2 tsp salt
Zs tsp pepper
Vs tsp thyme
* egg

Add the beef, butter or fat, seasonings, and egg to the
onions in the mixing bowl and beat vigorously with
a wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. Correct season-
ing. Form into patties % inch thick. Cover with
waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Vz cup flour spread on a
plate

Just before sauteing, roll the patties lightly in the
flour. Shake off excess flour.

1 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil, or
sufficient to film the bot-
tom of the skillet
1 or 2 heavy skillets just
large enough to hold the
patties easily in one layer

Place the butter and oil in the skillet and set over
moderately high heat. When you see the butter foam
begin to subside, indicating it is hot enough to sear
the meat, saute the patties for 2 to 3 minutes or more
on each side, depending on whether you like your
hamburgers rare, medium, or well done.

302

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

A warm serving platter

Arrange the hamburgers on the serving platter and
keep warm for a moment while finishing the sauce.

Zz cup beef stock, canned
beef bouillon, dry white
wine, dry white vermouth,
red wine, or l A cup water
2 to 3 Tb softened butter

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the liquid and boil
it down rapidly, scraping up the coagulated pan
juices, until it has reduced almost to a syrup. Off heat,
swirl the butter by half-tablespoons into the sauce
until it is absorbed. Pour the sauce over the ham-
burgers and serve.

VARIATION

Bitokes a la Russe
[Hamburgers with Cream Sauce]

Ingredients for 6 plain beef
hamburgers or the preced-
ing flavored hamburgers

Saute the hamburgers in
in the preceding master
hot serving platter.

oil and butter as described
recipe. Remove them to a

% cup stock or canned beef
bouillon

% cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Drops of lemon juice

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the stock or bouil-
lon and boil it down rapidly, scraping up coagulated
cooking juices, until reduced almost to a syrup. Pour
in the cream and boil it down rapidly for a minute or
two until it has reduced, and thickened slightly. Sea-
son to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and drops of
lemon juice.

2 to 3 Tb softened butter
2 Tb minced green herbs
such as parsley, chives,
tarragon, chervil, or pars-
ley only

Off heat, swirl in the butter by half-tablespoons until
it is absorbed. Stir in the herbs, spoon the sauce over
the hamburgers, and serve.

VARIATION: FLAVORED BUTTERS

Any of the butters listed here may be swirled into the skillet after it has
been deglazed with stock, wine, or water.

Parsley Butter, page 102
Herb Butter, page 102
Mustard Butter, page 100

Shallot Butter, page 103
Garlic Butter, page 101
Snail Butter (shallots, garlic, and
herbs), page 103

HAMBURGER

3°3

VARIATION: OTHER SAUCES

Any of the following sauces are made separately. After the hamburgers
have been sauteed and removed from the skillet, the sauce is poured in and
boiled for a moment while the coagulated saute juices are scraped into it. The
sauce is then poured over the hamburgers.

Sauce T ornate, or Coulis de T ornate s, tomato sauce, pages 76 to 78
Sauce Poivrade, brown sauce with strong pepper flavoring, page 70
Sauce Robert, brown sauce with mustard, page 72
Sauce Prune aux Fines Herbes, brown sauce with herbs or tarragon, page
73

Sauce Madere, brown sauce with Madeira wine, page 75
Sauce au Cari, brown sauce with curry and onions, page 73
See also the red wine and the white wine sauce for steaks on page 294,
and the mushroom sauce for filet steak on page 297.

FILET OF BEEF

Filet de Boeuf

* FILET DE BOEUF BRAISE PRINCE ALBERT

[Braised Filet of Beef Stuffed with Foie Gras and Truffles]

Here is a magnificent recipe for an important dinner, and it is not a diffi-
cult one in spite of the luxury of its details. We have chosen braised filet be-
cause it is more unusual than roast filet. Everything except the actual cooking
of the meat may be done in advance as indicated by the asterisk in the recipe.

Braised lettuce and potato balls sauteed in butter would go beautifully
with this, and you should accompany it with a fine chateau-bottled red Bor-
deaux from the Medoc district. See also die other vegetables suggested for
steaks on page 292.

For 8 people

4 to 6 canned truffles about Cut the truffles in quarters. Place in a small bowl with
1 inch in diameter juice from the can and the Madeira. Cover and mari-

3 Tb Madeira nate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

The braising vegetables ( matignon )

Va cup each: finely diced Cook the vegetables, ham, seasonings, herbs, and but-
carrots and onions ter slowly together in a small covered saucepan for

3°4

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Vz cup finely diced celery
3 Tb diced boiled ham
Va tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
A small herb bouquet: 2
parsley sprigs, Vs bay leaf,
Vs tsp thyme tied in
cheeseclodi

3 Tb butter

Vi cup Madeira

T he foie gras stuffing

2 Tb very finely minced
shallots or green onions
1 Tb butter

4 ounces or V2 cup mousse
de foie d’oie (or “block”
foie gras, which is much
more expensive but also
much better)

x Tb Madeira
1 Tb cognac
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of thyme
Vs tsp pepper

A 3-lb. trimmed filet of
beef, at least 3 inches in
diameter
Salt and pepper

A 2'/2-inch strip of fresh
pork fat as long as the
filet (or strips of blanched
bacon, page 15)

White string

10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but
not browned. Then pour in the wine and boil it down
rapidly until it has almost entirely evaporated. Set
aside.

Cook the shallots or onions slowly in butter for 3
minutes in a small saucepan without browning them.
Scrape into a mixing bowl. Beat in the foie gras and
other ingredients. Correct seasoning.

Cut a deep slit down the length of the least present-
able side of the filet, going to within Va inch of the
two ends and to within Va inch of the other side, or
top. Season the interior of the slit lightly with salt
and pepper, and spread it with the foie gras mixture.
Insert the truffles in a line down the center of the
filled slit— reserve their marinade for later. Do not
stuff the filet so full that the slit cannot be closed.

Lay the pork fat or bacon strips the length of the
closed slit. Tie securely but not too tightly with loops
of white string at i-inch intervals.

Braising the filet

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

FILET OF BEEF

305

A heavy, oval, fireproof cas-
serole just large enough to
hold the filet
2 Tb butter
x Tb oil

Salt and pepper
A meat thermometer

2 to 3 cups good brown
stock or canned beef bouil-
lon (or a very good brown
sauce, page 66, in which
case the starch liaison at
the end of the recipe is
omitted)

An oval of aluminum foil
A bulb baster

A hot serving platter

Sauce and serving

Wine marinade from the
truffles

1 Tb arrowroot or corn-
starch mixed with 2 Tb
Madeira

Optional: 2 or 3 Tb diced
truffles

Brown the filet lightly on all sides in the casserole in
hot butter and oil. Discard the browning fat. Season
the meat lightly with salt and pepper. (Insert meat
thermometer.) Spread the cooked vegetables over the
filet.

(*) May be prepared in advance to this point.

Pour in enough stock, bouillon, or sauce to come half
way up the sides of the filet. Bring to a simmer on
top of the stove. Lay foil over the meat. Cover the
casserole and set in lower third of pre-heated oven for
45 to 55 minutes. Regulate heat so liquid remains at a
very slow boil. Baste the meat with the braising stock
3 or 4 times during its cooking. The filet is done at
a meat-thermometer reading of 136 degrees for rare
beef, or 140 for medium rare, and if, when you press
the filet with your finger, it offers a slight resistance
in contrast to its soft, raw state.

Place the filet slit-side down on a hot serving platter
after removing the trussing strings and pork fat or
bacon. The meat should cool for 10 minutes or more
before carving, so that its juices will retreat back into
the tissues.

Skim the fat off the braising juices. Pour the truffle
marinade into them, and rapidly boil down this liquid
until it has reduced to about 2 cups and its flavor is
rich and concentrated.

Beat in the starch mixture (unless you have used the
brown sauce) and the optional truffles. Simmer for 2
to 3 minutes, then correct seasoning. The diced mati-
gnon vegetables remain in the sauce.

Decorate the platter with whatever vegetables you
have chosen. Pour a spoonful or two of the sauce and
diced vegetables over the meat, and pass the rest of
the sauce in a bowl. The filet is carved into crosswise
slices about % inch thick.

30 6

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

VARIATION

If you do not wish to stuff the filet, cook it exactly the same way but with-
out slitting and filling it. When you have placed it on a serving platter, you
may garnish the top with broiled mushroom caps alternating with sliced
truffles.

VARIATION

Marinade, for Filet of Beef

The following marinade is particularly good if you do not have top-qual-
ity flet.

/i cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth

14 cup Madeira

2 Tb cognac

1 tsp salt

6 peppercorns

14 tsp thyme

!4 tsp basil

3 parsley sprigs

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

2 or more canned truffles
and their juice

Place the raw, trimmed flet in an enameled or pyrex
dish or casserole. Pour on the wines and mix in the
seasonings, herbs, shallots or onions, and truffles.
Cover and marinate for 6 hours or overnight, turning
the meat and basting it several times. Drain and dry
the meat thoroughly before browning it. Include the
marinade, but not the truffles, with your braising
liquid. Reserve the truffles for your sauce.

BOILED BEEF

Pot-au-feu

* POTEE NORMANDE
POT-AU-FEU

[Boiled Beef with Pork, Chicken, Sausage, and Vegetables]

Here is a sumptuous family-style boiled dinner which will serve 12 or
more, and always makes a great hit with guests. It is brought to the table in its
kettle or a reasonable facsimile, looking for all the world like a plain pot-au-

BOILED BEEF

307

feu. The host starts the proceedings as usual by spearing out the beef and plac-
ing it on a platter. Then he finds a sausage, and after that a big piece of pork.
Finally, to wild acclaim, he brings out a chicken. Two or three sauces may be
served, such as a cream sauce with mustard and tomato, an herbal mayonnaise,
and a big bowl of the cooking stock. The potee, like all boiled dinners, is easy
on the cook because it can simmer quietly by itself for 4 to 5 hours and if it is
done before serving time, it can remain in its kettle where it will keep warm
for a good hour.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Carrots, turnips, onions, and leeks cook along with the meats. Boiled po-
tatoes, risotto, or buttered noodles are prepared and served separately. A nice,
simple red wine goes well: Beaujolais, Bordeaux, or Chianti, or a chilled rose.

BEEF CUTS FOR BOILING — POT-AU-FEU
First Choice: Rump Pot Roast — Pointe de Culotte or Aiguillette de Rum-

stec^

Other Choices: Sirloin Tip, Knuckle — Tranche Grasse
Bottom Round— Gite a la Noix
Chuck Pot Roast — Palcron or Macreuse a Pot-au-feu
Brisket — Milieu de Poitrine

For 12 to 16 people

A kettle large enough to
hold all the ingredients
listed

Beef (cooking time 3V2 to 4
hours): a 4-lb. boneless
piece of rump pot roast,
sirloin tip, bottom round,
chuck pot roast, or brisket

Pork (cooking time about 3
hours): a 4-lb. piece from
the butt, picnic, rolled
shoulder, or fresh ham

Chicken (cooking time 2V2
to 3 hours): a 4-lb. ready-
to-cook stewing hen of
good quality

Sausage (cooking time 30

All the meats and vegetables listed at the left are sim-
mered together in the kettle, but are added at various
times, depending on how long they take to cook. Start
the cooking 5 hours before you expect to serve, to be
sure the meats will be done. Trim excess fat off the
beef and pork. Tie each piece so it will hold its shape
during cooking. Truss the chicken. To each piece of
meat and to the chicken, tie a string long enough to
fasten to the handle of the kettle, so that the meats
may be removed easily for testing.

308

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

minutes): 2 lbs. lightly
smoked country or Polish
sausage

Vegetable Garnish (cooking
time 1V2 hours): carrots,
onions, turnips, and, if
available, leeks; 1 to 2 of
each vegetable per person

Prepare the vegetable garnish: Peel the carrots and
turnips and quarter them lengthwise; peel the onions;
trim and wash the leeks. Tie the vegetables in one or
several bundles of washed cheesecloth so they may be
removed easily from the kettle.

Soup Vegetables and Herbs:
3 scraped carrots
3 peeled onions, each stuck
with a whole clove
2 scraped parsnips
2 celery stalks

2 leeks, if available

A large herb bouquet as
follows: 6 parsley sprigs,
1 bay leaf, Z2 tsp thyme,
4 garlic cloves, 8 pepper-
corns tied in cheese-
cloth

Cooking Stock: sufficient
meat stock to cover in-
gredients by 6 inches; OR

3 cans of beef bouillon, 3
cans of chicken broth, and
water

Optional: raw or cooked
beef or veal bones, meat
scraps, poultry carcasses,
necks, gizzards

Place the beef in the kettle with the soup vegetables,
herb bouquet, and optional bones and scraps. Cover
with cooking stock by 6 inches. More liquid may be
added later if necessary. Set kettle over moderate heat,
bring to the simmer, skim. Partially cover the kettle
and simmer slowly for 1 hour, skimming occasionally.

Add the pork and chicken. Bring kettle quickly back
to the simmer. Skim. Simmer iJ 4 hours more and
skim from time to time.

Then add the vegetable garnish and bring kettle
quickly back to the simmer. Taste cooking stock for
seasoning and salt lightly if necessary. Simmer iJ 4 to
2 hours more, adding the sausage f 2 hour before the
end. The meats and chicken are done when they are
tender if pierced with a sharp-pronged fork or skewer.
If any piece is tender before the others are done, re-

BOILED BEEF

3°9

move to a bowl and keep moist with several ladlefuls
of cooking stock. Return to kettle to reheat before
serving.

(*) If the potee is ready before you are, it will stay
warm for at least 45 minutes in the kettle, or may be
reheated.

While the kettle is simmering, prepare one or two of
the sauces suggested at the end of the recipe, using
some of the liquid from the kettle if you need stock.

Serving

Drain the meats and the vegetable garnish. Discard trussing strings. Arrange
vegetables on a large, hot platter and moisten them with a ladleful of cooking stock.
Decorate with parsley. Either place the meats in a large casserole for presentation and
carving at the table, or carve in the kitchen and arrange on a platter. Strain, degrease,
and season enough cooking stock to fill a large serving bowl, and pass it along with
whatever sauce or sauces you have chosen from the following suggestions.

Sauce suggestions

Make 6 to 8 cups if only one sauce is to be served; 4 cups each if two sauces
are served.

Sauce Alsacienne, hard-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs, capers, and cooking
stock, page 93

Sauce Nenette, heavy cream simmered until it has reduced and thickened, then
flavored with mustard and tomato, page 387

Sauce Tomate or Coulis de Tomates, a good tomato sauce, page 76-8

Sauce Supreme, a veloute sauce made with the cooking stock, and enriched with
cream, page 59

BRAISED BEEF-POT ROAST

Piece de Boeuf Braisee

* BOEUF A LA MODE

[Beef Braised in Red Wine]

Braised beef is a wonderful party dish; it is not only delicious to smell,
look at, and eat, but you have no worries about overdone meat, and you can
cook it ahead of time if you need to. The following recipe calls for a 6- to 24-
hour marination of the beef in red wine and aromatic vegetables before cook-

3 io

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

ing. If you prefer to omit this step, pour the marinade ingredients into the
casserole after browning the meat.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Boeuf a la mode is traditionally garnished with braised carrots and onions,
and is usually accompanied by buttered noodles, parsley potatoes, or steamed
rice. Other vegetables could be braised lettuce, celery, or leeks, or buttered
green peas. Serve with it a good, characterful red wine, such as a Burgundy,
Hermitage, Cote Rotie, or Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

BEEF CUTS FOR BRAISING

Although it is not essential, beef for braising is usually larded. That is,
strips of fresh pork fat are inserted into it, going in the direction of the grain.
They baste the interior of the meat as it cooks, and make an attractive design
when the meat is sliced. Most butchers will lard the meat for you.

Choose a piece of beef of at least 3 pounds, and, however long it is, its
width should be at least 4 inches. It shrinks quite a bit during cooking. Count
on 1 pound of boneless beef for 2 or 3 people.

First Choice: Rump Pot Roast — Pointe de Culotte, or Aiguillette de
Rumstec\

Other Choices: Sirloin Tip, Knuckle — Tranche Grasse

Chuck Pot Roast — Paleron or Macreuse a Pot-au-feu

Top Round — Tende de Tranche

Bottom Round — Gite a la Noix

Eye of Round — Rond de Gite a la Noix

For 10 to 12 people
Red wine marinade

An enameled, pyrex, or Place half the vegetables, herbs, and spices in the bot-

porcelain bowl just large tom of the bowl. Rub the meat with salt and pepper

enough to hold all the in- and place it over the vegetables. Spread the rest of

gredients listed the vegetables and herbs over the meat. Pour on the

1 cup each: thinly sliced wine, brandy, and olive oil. Cover and marinate for

carrots, onions, and celery at least 6 hours (12 to 24 hours if the meat is refrig-

stalks erated). Turn and baste the meat every hour or so.

2 halved cloves unpeeled
garlic

1 Tb thyme

2 bay leaves

BRAISED BEEF

311

54 cup minced parsley
2 whole cloves or 4 allspice
berries

A 5-lb. piece of braising beef
trimmed and tied for
cooking
1 Tb salt
!4 tsp pepper

5 cups young red wine with
body — Burgundy, Cotes
du Rhone, Macon, or
Chianti
Vi cup brandy
Z2 cup olive oil

Half an hour before cooking, drain the meat on a
rack. Just before browning, dry it thoroughly with
paper towels. It will not brown if it is damp.

Browning and braising the beef

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A fireproof casserole or
heavy roaster just large
enough to hold the meat
and braising ingredients
4 to 6 Tb rendered pork fat
or cooking oil

Add the fat to the casserole and place over moderately
high heat. When fat is on the point of smoking,
brown the meat on all sides. This takes about 15 min-
utes. Pour out the browning fat.

( # ) Recipe may be prepared in advance up to this
point.

One or all of these to give
body to the sauce:

1 or 2 cracked veal knuck-
les

1 or 2 split calf’s feet
4 to 8 ounces fresh pork
rind, bacon rind, or
ham rind simmered xo
minutes in a quart of
water, rinsed, and
drained

4 to 6 cups beef stock, or
canned beef bouillon

Pour in the wine marinade and boil it down rapidly
until it has reduced by half. Then add the veal knuck-
les, calf’s feet, and rind, and pour in enough stock or
bouillon to come two thirds of the way up the beef.
Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, skim, cover
tightly, and set in lower third of preheated oven.
Regulate heat so liquid remains at a gentle simmer for
3/4 to 4 hours, and turn the meat several times during
its braising. The beef is done when a sharp-pronged
fork will pierce it easily.

312

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2 lbs. quartered carrots While the beef is being braised, cook the carrots and
braised in butter, page 477 onions. Set them aside until needed.

24 to 36 small white onions,
brown-braised in stock,
page 483

A hot serving platter When the meat is tender, remove it to the platter.

Discard trussing strings. Trim off any loose fat, and
keep the meat warm while finishing the sauce (5 to
10 minutes).

1 Tb arrowroot or corn-
starch mixed with 2 Tb
Madeira or port, if needed

Skim the fat off the braising juices, and strain them
through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing the liquid
out of the vegetables. Simmer for a minute or two,
skimming, then boil rapidly until liquid is reduced to
about f/z cups an d I s full of flavor. Taste carefully
for seasoning. Sauce should be lightly thickened. If
too thin, beat in the starch and wine mixture and
simmer for 3 minutes. Then add the cooked carrots
and onions and simmer for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

A slotted spoon
Parsley sprigs
A warmed sauceboat

Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange
them around the meat. Decorate with parsley. Pour a
bit of sauce over the meat and send the rest to the
table in a warmed sauceboat. (Or carve the meat and
arrange on the platter with the vegetables and parsley,
and spoon some of the sauce over the meat.)

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTES

For a wait of up to one hour, return meat, vegetables and sauce to
casserole, cover loosely, and set over barely simmering water.

For a longer wait, slice the meat and arrange it on a fireproof plat-
ter. Place the vegetables around the meat. Baste with the sauce. Half an
hour before serving, cover and reheat on a 350-degree oven. Leftover
braised beef will be just as good the next day, heated up the same way.

VARIATIONS

Cold Braised Beef

This recipe for beef braised in red wine may easily be turned into an aspic
by following the directions for boeuf a la mode en gelee, page 556. Cold braised

BRAISED BEEF

313

beef may also be served as a salad, by following the directions for salade dc
boeuf a la parisienne, page 543.

Piece de Boeuf a la Cuillere

[Minced Braised Beef Served in a Beef Shell]

From la vieille cuisine franfaise comes an unusual way to serve braised
beef for a dinner party. First the beef is braised ; then meat is cut out from its
top and center to leave a shell of beef which is crumbed and browned in the
oven. The removed beef is chopped, combined with sauteed mushrooms,
minced ham, and sauce, and is returned to the shell for serving. A nice thing
about this recipe is that all may be readied in advance for a 5- to 10-minute
heating just before serving.

For 10 to 12 people

Braising the beef

Braise the beef and make the sauce following the master recipe, but simmer the
meat only until it is almost tender, about 3 hours for a 5-pound piece. It should still
be firm enough to hold its shape when the shell is made. Choose a solid, lean piece
of top round with no muscle separations. It should weigh at least 5 pounds and be cut
into an even rectangular block about 5 inches wide and 5 inches deep.

Maying the shell

When the meat is done, remove it from the sauce. Place it under a board and
a 2-pound weight to preserve its shape for about an hour while it cools to tepid. Then
trim it, if necessary, into a neat rectangle. Hollow out the center, leaving an open-
topped rectangular trough or shell of meat with sides and bottom half an inch thick.
Chop the removed meat, including any trimmed-off bits, into J 4 -inch pieces. Place
them in a large, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan, skillet, or casserole.

Preparing the filling

Z2 lb. fresh mushrooms,
quartered and sauteed in
oil and butter with 1 Tb
minced shallots or green
onions, page 513
% cup (4 ounces) lean,
minced, boiled ham
1/2 cups sauce from the
braised beef

Stir the mushrooms and ham into the chopped beef,
and blend in the sauce. Simmer slowly, covered, for
15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a little more
sauce if the mixture becomes too thick. It should hold
its shape fairly solidly in a spoon. Carefully correct
seasoning. Film top of mixture with a spoonful of
stock or a bit of melted butter and set aside, uncov-
ered, or refrigerate, until needed.

3i4

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Finishing the shell

A pastry brush
2 eggs beaten in a small
bowl with i tsp water and
a pinch of salt
2 cups fine, dry, white bread
crumbs tossed with Vt. cup
grated Parmesan cheese
Zi cup melted butter
A rack set on a roasting pan

Final assembly

A vegetable garnish such as
braised onions and car-
rots, and sauteed potatoes,
OR baked tomatoes, and
green beans or braised
lettuce

The rest of the sauce from
the braised beef poured
into a gravy bowl
A hot serving platter
l A cup minced parsley

Using a pastry brush, paint the whole beef shell with
beaten egg. Pat on a layer of cheese and bread crumbs.
Sprinkle with butter and set the shell on the rack. Re-
frigerate until needed.

(*) Recipe may be completed even a day ahead up
to this point.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

About 5 to 10 minutes before serving, set the beef shell
in the oven to brown the crumb and cheese covering
lightly. Reheat the filling to the simmer. Heat the
vegetable garniture and the sauce. Then place the
browned shell on the platter, heap with meat mixture,
and sprinkle parsley over it. Arrange the vegetables
about the platter. Pass the sauce separately. Each guest
cuts down the crusty, tender shell with a serving
spoon to help himself to part of it and its filling.

BEEF STEWS

Ragouts de Boeuf

Of the several types of beef stew in which the meat is browned, then sim-
mered in an aromatic liquid, boeuf bourguignon is the most famous. The
daubcs, estouffades, and terrines usually require no browning, and are much
simpler to do. To be technically correct, any recipe describing meat which is
browned before it is simmered should be labeled a fricassee; we shall not al-
ways make the distinction here because stew has become current usage.

CUTS FOR STEWING

The better the meat, the better the stew. While cheaper and coarser cuts
may be used, die following are most recommended. Count on 1 pound of bone-
less meat, trimmed of fat, for 2 people; 3 if the rest of the menu is large.

BEEF STEWS

315

First Choice: Rump Pot Roast — Pointe de Culotte, or Aiguillette de
Rumstec\

Other Choices: Chuck Pot Roast —Paler on, or Macreusc a Pot-au-feu
Sirloin Tip — Tranche Grasse
Top Round — Tende de Tranche
Bottom Round — Gite a la Noix

COOKING TIME

Beef stews take 3 to 4 hours of simmering depending on the quality and
tenderness of the meat. If it has been marinated before cooking, it may take
less time. Stews may be cooked either in the oven or on top of the stove; the
oven is preferable because its heat is more uniform.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNONNE

[Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms]

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to
arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it
is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can
well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it
completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when
reheated.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles
or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered
peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young
red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. fimilion, or Bur-
gundy.

For 6 people

A 6-ounce chunk of bacon Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 14

inch thick and i / 2 inches long). Simmer rind and
bacon for 10 minutes in iJ 4 quarts of water. Drain
and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

316

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

A 9- to 10-inch fireproof
casserole 3 inches deep
1 Tb olive oil or cooking oil
A slotted spoon

3 lbs. lean stewing beef cut
into 2-inch cubes (see pre-
ceding list of cuts)

1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion

1 tsp salt

'A tsp pepper

2 Tb flour

3 cups of a full-bodied,
young red wine such as
one of those suggested for
serving, or a Chianti

2 to 3 cups brown beef stock
or canned beef bouillon

1 Tb tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

Zi tsp thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

The blanched bacon rind

18 to 24 small white onions,
brown-braised in stock,
page 483

1 lb. quartered fresh mush-
rooms sauteed in butter,
page 5*3

Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to
3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish
with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until
fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it
is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil
and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add
it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out
the sauteing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss
with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour
and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour.
Set casserole uncovered in middle position of pre-
heated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return
to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour
and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove cas-
serole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that
the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste,
garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top
of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower
third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid sim-
mers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done
when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and
mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the
casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out
the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it.
Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over
the meat.

BEEF STEWS

317

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or
two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You
should have about 2/2 cups of sauce thick enough to
coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly.
If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or
canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour
the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

(*) Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

for immediate serving: Cover the casserole and sim-
mer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vege-
tables with the sauce several times. Serve in its cas-
serole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded
with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with
parsley.

for later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate.
About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the
simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes,
occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the
sauce.

CARBONNADES A LA FLAMANDE

[Beef and Onions Braised in Beer]

Beer is typical for the Belgian braise, and gives a quite different character
to beef than the red wine of the bourguignon. A bit of brown sugar masks the
beer’s slightly bitter quality, and a little vinegar at the end gives character.
Serve this with parsley potatoes or buttered noodles, a green salad, and beer.
For 6 people

A 3-lb. piece of lean beef Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut the beef into slices

from the chuck roast or about 2 by 4 inches across and / 2 inch thick. Dry on

rump paper towels. Put a ] 4 (;-inch layer of fat or oil in the

2 to 3 Tb rendered fresh skillet and heat until almost smoking. Brown the beef
pork fat or good cooking slices quickly, a few at a time, and set them aside,
oil

A heavy skillet

i'/2 lbs. or 6 cups of sliced Reduce heat to moderate. Stir the onions into the fat
onions in the skillet, adding more fat if necessary, and brown

Salt and pepper the onions lightly for about 10 minutes, stirring fre-

4 cloves mashed garlic quently. Remove from heat, season with salt and pep-

per, and stir in the garlic.

Parsley sprigs

3i8

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

A 9- to 10-inch fireproof cas-
serole about 3/2 inches
deep

Salt and pepper

Arrange half the browned beef in the casserole and
season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread half the
onions over the beef. Repeat with the rest of the beef
and onions.

1 cup strong beef stock or
canned beef bouillon

2 to 3 cups light beer, Pilsner
type

2 Tb light brown sugar

1 large herb bouquet: 6
parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf,
and / tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

Heat the stock or bouillon in the browning skillet,
scraping up coagulated cooking juices. Pour it over
the meat. Add enough beer so the meat is barely
covered. Stir in the brown sugar. Bury the herb
bouquet among the meat slices. Bring casserole to the
simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole
and place in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate
heat so liquid remains at a very slow simmer for 2/2
hours at the end of which time the meat should be
fork-tender.

1V2 Tb arrowroot or corn- Remove herb bouquet. Drain the cooking liquid out

starch blended with 2 Tb of the casserole into a saucepan, and skim off fat.

wine vinegar Beat the starch and wine vinegar mixture into the

cooking liquid and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Care-
fully correct seasoning. You should have about 2 cups
of sauce. Pour the sauce back over the meat.

(*) May be prepared in advance to this point.

Parsley potatoes or buttered
noodles
Parsley sprigs

When ready to serve, cover the casserole and simmer
slowly for 4 to 5 minutes until the meat is thoroughly
heated through. Either bring the casserole to the table,
or arrange the meat on a hot serving platter, spoon the
sauce over it, surround with potatoes or noodles, and
decorate with parsley.

* PAUPIETTES DE BOEUF
ROULADES DE BOEUF
PETITES BALLOTINES DE BOEUF

[Braised Stuffed Beef Rolls]

Paupiettes are thin slices of beef wrapped around a filling, and braised in
wine and stock with herbs and aromatic vegetables. Although diey follow the
same general pattern as other fricassees of beef, their pork and veal stuffing
gives them a special character. Paupiettes can be cooked in advance, and any
leftovers may be reheated or may be served cold. Accompany hot paupiettes

BEEF STEWS

319

with rice, risotto, or noodles, and a garniture of sauteed mushrooms, braised
onions, and carrots, or with buttered green peas or green beans, broiled to-
matoes, and French bread. Serve a good simple red wine such as Beaujolais,
Cotes du Rhone, Chianti, or a rose.

For about 1 8 paupiettes serving 6 people

V2 cup finely minced onions
1 Tb butter

A 3-quart mixing bowl

Cook the onions slowly in butter for 7 to 8 minutes
until they are tender but not browned. Scrape them
into the mixing bowl.

6 ounces lean pork ground
with 6 ounces lean veal
and 3 ounces fresh pork
fat, making about 1V2
cups ground meat
A wooden spoon
1 clove mashed garlic
Vs tsp thyme
Pinch of allspice
Big pinch of pepper
l A tsp salt

Vt cup chopped parsley

* egg

Add all ingredients at the left to the mixing bowl and
beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until thoroughly
blended.

2/2 lbs. lean beef (top round
or chuck) cut into 18
cross-grain slices !4 inch
thick and about 3 inches
in diameter
Salt and pepper
White string

Flatten each slice of beef to a thickness of '/ s inch by
pounding it between 2 sheets of waxed paper with
a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Lay the meat flat on a
board and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Divide the stuffing into 18 portions and place one on
the lower third of each slice. Roll the meat around the
stuffing to form cylinders about 4 inches long and 1 / 2
inches thick. Secure each with 2 ties of string. Dry in
paper towels.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2 to 3 Tb rendered pork fat
or good cooking oil
A heavy fireproof casserole
about 10 inches in diame-
ter and 2/2 to 3 inches
deep

Heat the fat or oil in the casserole until almost smok-
ing. Brown the paupiettes lightly, a few at a time, and
remove to a side dish. Lower heat to moderate and
brown the vegetables slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, stir-
ring. Then add the flour and brown it slowly for 2 to
3 minutes. Remove casserole from heat and im-

A

320

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Zz cup sliced carrots
Zz cup sliced onions
3 Tb flour

x cup dry white wine or dry
white vermouth
1Z2 cups brown stock or
canned beef bouillon

A 4-inch square of fresh Lay rind in the bottom of the casserole. Place the
pork rind, bacon rind or paupiettes over it, and add more stock or bouillon, or

salt-pork rind, simmered water, if necessary, to the liquid in the casserole so

io minutes in a quart of paupiettes are barely covered. Add the herb bouquet,
water, then drained
i large herb bouquet plus 2
cloves of garlic: 6 parsley
sprigs, i bay leaf, Zz tsp
thyme, and the garlic tied
together in cheesecloth

Bulb baster Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover the

casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven.
Regulate heat so the paupiettes simmer very slowly
for i Zz hours. Baste them two or three times with the
liquid in the casserole.

Remove the paupiettes to a side dish and cut off
trussing strings. Strain the cooking liquid into a
saucepan and degrease thoroughly. Boil down the
sauce if necessary, to concentrate its flavor. You should
have i/ 2 to 2 cups thick enough to coat a spoon
lightly. Correct seasoning.

Off heat, beat the mustard and cream into the sauce.
Simmer for 1 minute. Rearrange the paupiettes in the
casserole or a fireproof serving dish, and pour the
sauce over them.

(*) Recipe may be prepared in advance to this point.
Film top of sauce with a spoonful of stock or melted
butter. When cold, cover and refrigerate.

Parsley sprigs About 10 minutes before serving, reheat barely to the

simmer on top of the stove. Cover and simmer slowly
for 5 minutes or so, basting the paupiettes frequently
with the sauce. Serve from the casserole, or arrange
the paupiettes on a platter, spoon the sauce over them,

x Tb prepared mustard of
the strong Dijon type
blended with Zs cup whip-
ping cream
A wire whip

mediately beat in the wine, then the stock or bouillon.

BEEF STEWS

321

and surround with rice or noodles. Decorate with
parsley.

VARIATIONS

Prepare, brown, and braise the paupiettes as in the preceding recipe but
use the sauce ingredients and techniques outlined either for the boeuf bour-
guignon on page 315, or for the carbonnades a la flamandc on page 317.

BOEUF A LA CATALANE

[Beef Stew with Rice, Onions, and Tomatoes]

Here is a hearty dish from the Spanish-Mediterranean corner of France.
Serve it with a green salad, French bread, and a strong, young red wine.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A 14 -lb. chunk of bacon

2 Tb olive oil
A heavy, 10-inch skillet
A slotted spoon
A 3-quart fireproof casserole

about 3 inches deep

3 lbs. lean stewing beef cut Dry the meat on paper towels. Heat fat in skillet until
into squares 2Z2 inches almost smoking then brown the meat a few pieces at a
across and x inch thick time. Place it when browned in the casserole.

(see cuts listed on page
3X5)

1V2 cups sliced onions Lower heat to moderate, and brown the onions lightly.

Remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the
casserole.

1 cup clean, unwashed, raw Still in the same fat, stir the rice over moderate heat

white rice for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns a milky color. Scrape

into a bowl and set aside until later.

1 cup dry white wine or dry Pour any remaining fat out of the skillet, add the

white vermouth wine and stir for a moment over heat to dissolve

coagulated cooking juices. Pour into the casserole.

Remove rind and cut bacon into lardons (1 [ 4 -inch
strips, % of an inch thick.) Simmer in 1 quart of
water for 10 minutes. Drain, dry, and brown lightly
in oil in the skillet. Remove with a slotted spoon to
the casserole.

3 22

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2 to 3 cups beef stock or
canned beef bouillon
Salt to taste
Vi tsp pepper
2 cloves mashed garlic
Z2 tsp thyme
Pinch of saffron
1 crumbled bay leaf

1 lb. ripe, red tomatoes,
peeled, seeded, juiced, and
chopped, page 505 (this
will make about 1/2 cups
tomato pulp)

Sauteed rice from above
Stock or canned bouillon if
necessary

x cup (4 ounces) grated
Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Add stock or bouillon almost to the height of the
meat. Salt lightly. Stir in the pepper, garlic, and
herbs. Bring to simmer on top of the stove, cover
tightly, and set in lower position of preheated oven
to simmer slowly for 1 hour.

Remove casserole from oven. Stir in the tomatoes,
bring to simmer on top of the stove, cover, and re-
turn to the oven for an additional i x /z to 2 hours of
very slow simmering. When the meat is almost fork-
tender, remove casserole from oven. Raise oven heat
to 375 degrees.

Tilt casserole and skim off fat. You should have 2 to
i/z cups of liquid; add more stock or bouillon, or
water, if necessary. Stir in the rice. Bring to simmer
on top of stove, cover, and set again in lower third of
oven. Regulate heat to keep liquid at a full simmer
for 20 minutes so the rice will cook. Do not stir the
rice. At the end of this time it should be tender and
have absorbed almost all the liquid. Remove from
oven and correct seasoning.

(*) May be prepared in advance to this point. Set
aside, cover askew. To reheat, cover casserole and
place in a pan of boiling water for about half an hour.

Just before serving, delicately fold the cheese with a
fork into the hot beef and rice. Serve from the cas-
serole or on a hot platter.

* DAUBE DE BOEUF

ESTOUFFADE DE BOEUF
TERRINE DE BOEUF

[Casserole of Beef with Wine and Vegetables - Hot or Cold]

Daube comes from daubiere, a covered casserole. Estoufjade is a stifling
or smothering, in a covered casserole. Almost every region of France has its
own daubes, estouffadcs, and terrines. Some of them are for a whole piece of

BEEF STEWS

323

braised beef; others are like a boeuf bourguignon. In many the meat is larded,
and in most it is marinated in wine with vegetables before the cooking begins.
Here is a savory, country-style daube, an informal main dish to serve with
boiled potatoes, risotto, or noodles, a green salad, and a simple red wine or a
chilled rose.

Note: We have not directed that the meat be larded, but you may do so
if you wish, by inserting two *4 -inch strips of larding pork or blanched bacon
through each piece of meat. You may also omit the marination of the meat,
and add all the marinade ingredients to the casserole with the beef.

For 6 people

3 lbs. lean stewing beef cut
into 2'/2'inch squares, 1
inch thick (beef cuts are
listed on page 315)

A large glazed earthenware
bowl

1/2 cups dry white wine,
dry white vermouth, or
red wine

Optional: l /t cup brandy,
eau de vie, or gin
2 Tb olive oil
2 tsp salt
!4 tsp pepper
Z2 tsp thyme or sage

1 crumbled bay leaf

2 cloves mashed garlic

2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cups thinly sliced carrots

Place the beef in the bowl and mix with the wine,
optional spirits, olive oil, seasonings, herbs, and vege-
tables. Cover and marinate at least 3 hours (6 if re-
frigerated), stirring up frequently.

Z2 lb. lean bacon cut into
x-inch slices Za inch thick
and 2 inches long approxi-
mately

1Z2 cups (6 ounces) sliced
fresh mushrooms
1Z2 lbs. ripe, red tomatoes,
peeled, seeded, juiced, and
chopped, page 505 (this
will make about 2 1 /* cups
tomato pulp)

Simmer the bacon for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water.
Drain and dry. Prepare the mushrooms and tomatoes.

324

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Remove the beef from the marinade and drain in a
sieve.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A 5- to 6-quart fireproof cas-
serole 3V2 inches deep
1 cup sifted flour on a plate

Line the bottom of the casserole with 3 or 4 strips of
bacon. Strew a handful of the marinade vegetables,
mushrooms, and tomatoes over them. Piece by piece,
roll the beef in the flour and shake off excess. Place
closely together in a layer over the vegetables. Cover
with a few strips of bacon, and continue with layers
of vegetables, beef, and bacon. End with a layer of
vegetables and 2 or 3 strips of bacon.

1 to 2 cups beef stock or Pour in the wine from the marinade and enough
canned beef bouillon stock or bouillon almost to cover the contents of the

casserole. Bring to simmer on top of the stove, cover
closely, and set in lower third of preheated oven.
Regulate heat so liquid simmers slowly for 3 to 4
hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

Tip casserole and skim out fat. Correct seasoning.

(*) May be prepared ahead and reheated, and is good
either hot or cold.

VARIATION

Daube de Boeuf a la Provengale

[Casserole of Beef with Garlic and Anchovy Sauce]

This is the same daube given a Provencal flavoring at the end. Any cold
leftovers are delicious, served with a green salad and French bread. Follow the
master recipe with these additions:

10 flat anchovy filets packed Using a fork, mash the anchovies and capers to a
in olive oil paste in a bowl. Beat in the other ingredients. After

2 Tb capers the daube has cooked for 2/2 hours remove it from

A table fork the oven and skim off the fat. Pour on the anchovy

3 Tb wine vinegar mixture and baste the beef with the cooking juices in

BEEF SAUTES

325

3 Tb olive oil from the the casserole. Cover and return to oven until the meat
anchovy can and/or plain is tender,
olive oil

2 cloves mashed garlic
!4 cup minced parsley
Bulb baster

BEEF SAUTES

Saute dc Boeuf

* SAUTE DE BOEUF A LA PARISIENNE

[Beef Saute with Cream and Mushroom Sauce]

This saute of beef is good to know about if you have to entertain impor-
tant guests in a hurry. It consists of small pieces of filet sauteed quickly to a
nice brown outside and a rosy center, and served in a sauce. The following
recipe can easily be prepared in 30 minutes, or in less than half the time if the
meat has been sliced and the mushrooms sauteed ahead. In the variations at
the end of the recipe, all the sauce ingredients may be prepared in advance. If
the whole dish is cooked ahead of time, be very careful indeed in its reheating
that the beef does not overcook. The cream and mushroom sauce here is a
French version of beef Stroganoff, but less tricky as it uses fresh rather than
sour cream, so you will not run into the problem of curdled sauce.

Serve the beef in a casserole, or on a platter surrounded with steamed rice,
risotto, or potato balls sauteed in butter. Buttered green peas or beans could
accompany it, and a good red Bordeaux wine.

For 6 people

V2 lb. sliced fresh mush-
rooms

A heavy, 9- to 10-inch en-
ameled skillet

2 Tb butter and x Tb good
cooking oil

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

!4 tsp salt and a pinch of
pepper

Following directions on page 513, saute the mush-
rooms in the skillet in hot butter and oil for 4 to 5
minutes to brown them lightly. Stir in the shallots or
onions, and cook for a minute longer. Season the
mushrooms, and scrape them into a side dish.

32 6

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2/2 lbs. filet of beef; the
tenderloin butt and the
tail of the filet are usu-
ally used (see illustrations,
page 290)

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb cook-
ing oil, more if needed

14 cup Madeira (best
choice), or dry white ver-
mouth

% cup good brown stock or
canned beef bouillon

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp cornstarch blended
with 1 tablespoon of the
cream

Salt and pepper

2 Tb softened butter
Parsley sprigs

Remove all surrounding fat and filament, and cut the
filet into 2-ounce pieces, about 2 inches across and
Zi inch thick. Dry thoroughly on paper towels.

Place the butter and oil in the skillet and set over
moderately high heat. When the butter foam begins
to subside, saute the beef, a few pieces at a time, for
2 to 3 minutes on each side to brown the exterior but
keep the interior rosy red. Set the beef on a side dish,
and discard sauteing fat.

Pour the wine and stock or bouillon into the skillet
and boil it down rapidly, scraping up coagulated
cooking juices, until liquid is reduced to about */ 3 cup.
Beat in the cream, then the cornstarch mixture. Simmer
a minute. Add the sauteed mushrooms and simmer a
minute more. The sauce should have a slight liaison
(be lightly thickened). Taste carefully for seasoning.

Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper and re-
turn it to the skillet along with any juices which may
have escaped. Baste the beef with the sauce and mush-
rooms; or transfer everything to a serving casserole.

When you are ready to serve, cover the skillet or cas-
serole and heat to below the simmer for 3 to 4 minutes,
being very careful not to overdo it or the pieces of
filet will be well done rather than rare. Off heat and
just before serving, tilt casserole, add butter to sauce
a bit at a time while basting the meat until the butter
has absorbed. Decorate with parsley, and serve at
once.

VARIATIONS

Saute de Boeuf d la Bour guignonne

[Beef Saute with Red Wine, Mushrooms, Bacon, and Onions]

For 6 people

BEEF SAUTES

327

2Z2 lbs. filet of beef pre-
pared and sauteed as in
preceding master recipe
A 3-ounce chunk blanched
bacon, page 15
1Z2 cups red wine
1Z2 cups brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
1 clove mashed garlic
1 Tb tomato paste
Za tsp thyme

1 Tb flour mashed to a paste
with 1 Tb butter — beurre
manie
A wire whip

18 small braised onions,
page 481

Zz lb. sliced mushrooms
sauteed in butter, page

5*3

Salt and pepper
A fireproof serving casserole

Saute the beef and set it aside. Cut the blanched bacon
into i-inch strips Za of an inch thick. Brown lightly in
the saute skillet and pour out fat. Add rest of in-
gredients at left and slowly boil down by half.

Remove from heat and beat in the flour-butter paste
Simmer for 1 minute, beating with wire whip.

Add onions and mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes.
Correct seasoning. Season the sauteed beef, and ar-
range it and the sauce, bacon, and vegetables in the
serving casserole.

( # ) Recipe may be prepared ahead to this point. Set
casserole aside uncovered.

2 Tb softened butter When ready to serve, cover and reheat at below sim-

Parsley sprigs mer for 3 to 4 minutes. Off heat, add the butter by

bits, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce
until the butter has absorbed. Decorate with parsley
and serve immediately.

Saute de Boeuf a la Provengale

[Beef Saute with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Olives, and Herbs]

For 6 people

2Z2 lbs. filet of beef Cut and saute the beef as described in the preceding

master recipe. Remove to a side dish.

Zi cup dry white wine or Pour the fat out of the saute skillet and pour in the
dry white vermouth wine. Boil it down rapidly until reduced to 2 table-

328

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2 cups fresh tomato puree
with garlic and herbs,
page 78

/} cup pitted black olives,
preferably the dryish
Mediterranean type
2 Tb mixed fresh green
herbs, or parsley

spoons, scraping up coagulated saute juices. Add the
tomato puree and simmer a moment. Then add the
sauteed beef and reheat without simmering. Decorate
with olives and herbs or parsley, and serve immedi-
ately.

LAMB AND MUTTON

Agneau et Mouton

Although modern raising methods have made it possible to schedule lamb
crops for any time of the year, the normal cycle starts in March, when hothouse
lamb with its pale pink-white flesh is the first to appear — if you see it at all.
Genuine spring lamb is usually on the market in April, and a leg weighs only
3 to 4 pounds. Lamb cuts become heavier as the seasonal cycle progresses, and
in late winter a leg may weigh over 7^4 pounds, meaning it is almost a year
old or almost mutton. Mutton, though much appreciated in Europe for its
developed flavor, is not popular in America and generally must be specially
ordered. The recipes in this section are for lamb from 5 months to under a
year old; mutton may be substituted for lamb in all of them.

TERMS FOR LAMB AND MUTTON

Hothouse Lamb, Milk-fed Lamb — Agneau de Lait, Agneau de Pauillac.
This is lamb between 2 and 3 months old. It is raised like veal, on milk, and is
considered a great early spring delicacy. Hothouse lamb may be roasted whole
with one of the stuffings beginning on page 336, or it may be cut up and broiled
with a mustard coating following die general outline of poulet grille a la diable,
page 265.

Genuine Spring Lamb, Milk-finished Lamb— Agneau Pascal. Genuine
spring lamb is 3 to 4 months old with delicate, pale red flesh. It is roasted,
broiled or grilled; its stewing cuts may be treated like the veal in blanquette de
veau, page 362.

Lamb — Agneau, Agneau de Pre-sale. Lamb is from 5 months to under a
year old (5 to about 9 months in France), and may be roasted, braised, boiled,
or fricasseed. The best French agneaux are considered to be those fed on the
salty grasses of the northern coastal regions, les pres sales.

LEG OF LAMB

329

Mutton — Mouton. Mutton comes from an animal over one year old and
usually under two; it is cooked like lamb. The most famous French mutton
is from les pres sales.

LEG OR SHOULDER OF LAMB

Gigot ou Epaule de Pre-sale

If a fine leg or shoulder of lamb is to be tender and full of flavor it must
be sufficiently aged. A too-fresh piece will be rubbery and tough no matter how
you cook it. Aging is particularly necessary for mutton. Most French recipes
are very specific : un beau gigot bien rassis. So if you have any doubts, wrap die
meat loosely and store it in the refrigerator for three to five days before cook-
ing it.

PREPARING A LEG OF LAMB FOR COOKING

Trim off all but a thin layer of fat, and remove any loose fat. Shave off
the purple inspection stamps. Do not remove the fell or filament covering the
meat.

In the recipes which follow, a leg of lamb means a whole, unboned leg,
but as you will note from the illustration, you may buy a short leg if you wish
The sirloin piece makes a nice small roast, or may be cut into steaks. Although

33 °

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

some meat fanciers object to any tampering at all with a leg of lamb, carving
is much easier if some of die bones are removed. The tail and die pelvic bone
may be cut out, and the meat sewn or skewered together to cover the rump
knucklebone. Or if you wish only the shank to remain after the pelvic bone
has been removed, the leg bone may be taken from inside the meat without
making an outside incision; the meat is then sewn or skewered at the large
end. If the leg is boned entirely, then rolled and tied, it makes a compact roast
which may be cooked on a spit. Most butchers will perform any of these opera-
tions for you, but they are not too difficult to manage by yourself. The bones
and trimmings may be turned into a good sauce for your roast, see sauce ra-
gout, page 69.

FLAVORINGS AND STUFFINGS

For a mild garlic flavor, insert 3 or 4 slivers of garlic in the meat at the
shank end. For a more pronounced flavor, make several incisions in the meat
and insert more garlic slivers. See also the garlic and herb stuffing and other
suggestions for boned lamb beginning on page 336, and the herbal-mustard
coating on page 335.

SHOULDER OF LAMB

Shoulder of lamb in America is one half the forequarter of lamb, minus
die lower part of the ribs and the shank. It thus forms a square shape, and con-
sists of the upper leg, all or part of the shoulder blade, 3 to 5 shoulder chops,
and 2 or 3 vertebrae in the neck. Whole, it weighs 4 to 6 pounds; boned, a third
less, or 2*4 to 4 pounds. In France the shank is considered to be part of the
shoulder, but not the chops. So if you are living there and want to stuff a shoul-
der of lamb, ask that some of the shoulder chops, cotes decouvertes, be included.
Otherwise there will be little room for your stuffing. When the shoulder is
boned, the fell or top filament, is left intact to form a covering for the roast.
After boning, the shoulder may be rolled, tied, and roasted as is. Or it may be
stuffed and either rolled and tied into a fat cylindrical shape, or formed into a
square cushion roast. Boned shoulder may be substituted for leg of lamb in
any of the recipes in this section.

TIMING FOR ROAST LAMB AND MUTTON

Lamb and mutton cooked in the French manner are seared for 15 min-
utes in a 450-degree oven, then the roasting is continued in a 350-degree oven
until the meat is medium rare, pink, and juicy. If you prefer lamb well done,

LEG OF LAMB

331

do not go over a meat-thermometer reading of 170 degrees or the meat will
lose much of its juice and flavor; 160 to 165 degrees are usually considered suf-
cient. A boned leg or shoulder will weigh approximately 30 per cent less than
a bone-in piece, but its cooking time per pound usually more than doubles,
depending on the thickness of the meat. The estimates in the following list
are based on unchilled meat, and the recipes refer to unboned meat unless
otherwise specified.

A 6-pound leg or shoulder, bone in

Medium Rare— 1 to 1 / hours (10 to 12 minutes per pound)

Meat Thermometer Reading — 145 to 150 degrees

Well Done — i l / 4 to 1*4 hours (13 to 15 minutes per pound)

Meat Thermometer Reading — 160 to 165 degrees

A 4-pound piece of boned and rolled leg or shoulder

Medium Rare— 1/ to 2 hours (25 to 30 minutes per pound)

Meat Thermometer Reading — 147 to 150 degrees

Well Done — 2 to 2*4 hours (30 to 35 minutes per pound)

Meat Thermometer Reading— 160 to 165 degrees

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS FOR ROAST LAMB

Beans

Gigot, haricots — lamb and beans— are a favorite combination. The beans
may be plain buttered green beans, page 444, or green beans and fresh shell
beans (otherwise known as white or cranberry beans), or the dried beans on
page 400. A mixture of the two is called haricots panaches. Another suggestion
is green beans with tomatoes, page 447. Additional bean recipes are in the
Bean section, pages 442 to 447.

Potatoes

With plain buttered green vegetables you could serve one of the potato
casseroles, pages 523 to 526, or the garlic mashed potatoes on page 520. Potatoes
sauteed in butter, page 526, go with either plain or sauced vegetables.

Other vegetables

Rice with mushrooms, page 531, could be accompanied by one of the
recipes for peas, pages 461 to 467, and baked tomatoes, page 506.

Tomatoes stuffed with herbs or mushrooms, page 507, green beans, and
sauteed potatoes are always good with roast lamb.

Eggplant and lamb are an excellent flavor combination. See the eggplant

332

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

casserole, ratatouille, page 503, and the eggplant stuffed with mushrooms on
page 501.

Brussels sprouts or broccoli, pages 449 to 456, or cauliflower, pages 456
to 461, are other ideas. If the vegetables are served plain, you could accompany
them with one of the potato casseroles on pages 523 to 526.

TRADITIONAL GARNITURES

Here are some of the traditional French vegetable combinations for gar-
nishing a roast of lamb.

Bruxelloisc, braised endive, page 493, Brussels sprouts braised in butter,
page 451, potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526.

Chdtelaine, quartered artichoke hearts braised in butter, page 431, whole
baked tomatoes, page 506, braised celery, page 491, potatoes sauteed in butter,
page 526.

Clamart, cooked artichoke hearts, page 431, filled with buttered peas,
page 462, potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526

Florian, braised lettuce, page 489, brown-braised onions, page 483, carrots
braised in butter, page 477, potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526

Judic, tomatoes stuffed with herbs or mushrooms, page 507, braised let-
tuce, page 489, potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526

Provengale, whole baked tomatoes, page 506, baked stuffed mushrooms,
page 516

Viroflay, spinach braised with stock or cream, page 470, quartered arti-
choke hearts braised in butter, page 431, potatoes sauteed in butter, page 526

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Red wine goes with lamb and mutton. A light red, such as Bordeaux-
Medoc, is best with the delicate flavor of young spring lamb. Serve a stronger
red, such as Bordeaux-St. Lmilion, with more mature lamb. Mutton, or lamb
roasted with a strong, herbal stuffing or mustard coating, calls for a sturdier
wine, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy.

* G 1 GOT DE PRE-SALE ROTI

[Roast Leg of Lamb]

For 8 to 10 people

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

LEG OF LAMB

333

A 6-lb. leg of lamb

4 Tb rendered fresh pork or
beef fat, or a mixture of
melted butter and cook-
ing oil

A roasting pan i'/2 inches
deep and just large
enough to hold the meat
A rack to fit the pan
A bulb baster or long-han-
dled spoon

A meat thermometer
i large carrot, roughly sliced
i large onion, roughly sliced
Optional: 3 to 6 cloves un-
peeled garlic, added to pan
l /i hour before end of
cooking

1 tsp salt
l A tsp pepper
A hot platter

Prepare the lamb for cooking as described in the pre-
ceding paragraphs, and wipe it dry with paper towels.

Brush tire lamb with melted fat or butter and oil.
Place it on the rack in the roasting pan and set in
the upper third of the preheated oven. Turn and
baste it every 4 to 5 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes,
or until it has browned lightly on all sides. This sears
the outside of the meat and prevents its juices from
bursting out.

Reset oven for 350 degrees. Insert a meat thermometer
into the fleshiest part of the lamb. Strew the vegetables
in the bottom of the pan. Set lamb in middle level of
oven and roast until done. Basting is not necessary.

Total Cooking Time

Medium rare, 1 to i*4 hours, 147 to 150 degrees.
Meat is slightly resistant when pressed, and if the
meat is pricked deeply with a fork, the juices run
rosy, not red.

Well done, 1% to i'/2 hours, 160 to 165 degrees.
Meat is firmer when pressed, juices run clear
yellow.

Discard any trussing strings or skewers. Season the
lamb, and place it on a platter. It should rest at room
temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before being carved,
to let its juices retreat back into the tissues.

1 cup stock, brown lamb
stock, or canned beef
bouillon
A hot sauceboat

Remove the rack, and spoon the cooking fat out of the
pan. Pour in the stock or bouillon and boil rapidly,
scraping up coagulated roasting juices and mashing
the vegetables into the stock. Taste for seasoning. Just
before serving, strain into a hot sauceboat, pressing
the juices out of the vegetables. Stir in any juices
which may have escaped from the roast.

Water cress or parsley
Hot plates

Decorate the roast with water cress or parsley, and be
sure to serve the lamb on hot plates as lamb fat con-
geals when cold.

334

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

VARIATION: OTHER SAUCES

The preceding directions are for a deglazing sauce which furnishes about
a spoonful per serving. If you wish more sauce, prepare in advance 2 to 3 cups
of sauce ragout with the lamb bones and trimmings, page 69. Omit the stock
in the master recipe and stir the sauce into the degreased roasting juices; sim-
mer a moment, and pour into a sauceboat.

Sauce Speciale a l’ Ail pour Gigot
[Garlic Sauce for Roast Lamb]

This very good sauce uses a whole head of garlic which, after two blanch-
ings and a long simmering, becomes tamed and develops a delicious flavor.
For IV2 to 2 cups of sauce

1 large head of garlic

A saucepan containing 1
quart of cold water

A i-quart heavy-bottomed
saucepan

% cup milk, more if needed

] 4 t tsp salt

!4 tsp rosemary or thyme

1V2 Tb raw white rice

1 cup brown lamb stock,
beef stock, or canned beef
bouillon

A sieve, a bowl, and a wood-
en spoon, or an electric
blender

Salt and pepper

A hot gravy boat

Separate the garlic cloves. Bring them to the boil in
the saucepan and boil 30 seconds. Drain and peel.
Set again in cold water, bring to the boil, and drain.

In the saucepan bring the milk, salt, herbs, and rice
to the simmer. Add the garlic, and simmer very slowly
for 45 minutes, putting in more milk by spoonfuls if
the rice is in danger of scorching.

Pour in the stock or bouillon and simmer 1 minute.
Then force through a sieve, or puree in the electric
blender. Correct seasoning. Set sauce aside and reheat
when needed.

After the lamb has been roasted as described in the
master recipe and the roasting pan degreased, deglaze
the pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of stock or water,
scraping up coagulated juices. Strain into the hot
garlic sauce. Pass the sauce in a hot gravy boat.

LEG OF LAMB

335

VARIATION

Gigot a la Moutarde

[Herbal Mustard Coating for Roast Lamb]

When lamb is brushed with this mixture, garlic slivers and herbal stuff-
ings are not necessary, and the lamb becomes a beautiful brown as it roasts.
For a 6-lb. leg of lamb

Z2 cup Dijon-type prepared
mustard
2 Tb soy sauce
1 clove mashed garlic

1 tsp ground rosemary or
thyme

!4 tsp powdered ginger

2 Tb olive oil

Blend the mustard, soy sauce, garlic, herbs, and ginger
together in a bowl. Beat in the olive oil by droplets
to make a mayonnaise-like cream.

A rubber spatula or brush Paint the lamb with the mixture and set it on the

rack of the roasting pan. The meat will pick up more
flavor if it is coated several hours before roasting.

Roast in a 350-degree oven, 1 to 1 '/ hours, for medium
rare; or 1'/ to i/ z hours for well done. The searing
step at the beginning of the master recipe is omitted.

* GIGOT OU EPAULE DE PRE-SALE , EARCl

[Stuffed Leg or Shoulder of Lamb]

Boned leg and shoulder of lamb lend diemselves nicely to any of the
following stuffings, and cold leftovers are particularly good. Lay the boned
meat skin side down on a flat surface. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Spread the stuffing over the meat and into the pockets left by die bones. Then
roll the meat into a cylindrical shape to enclose the stuffing completely. Sew
or skewer if necessary, dien tie loops of string around its circumference at
i-inch intervals so the meat will hold its shape. Roast either in die oven or on
a spit, or braise it as described in the recipe on page 338. The following are for
3 to 4 pounds of boned meat.

33*5

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Farce aux Herbes

[Garlic and Herb Stuffing]

i/2 cup chopped parsley Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Spread the

/ 2 tsp ground rosemary or mixture on the lamb. Roll and tie as described in the
thyme preceding instructions.

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

i/2 to i clove mashed garlic
Va tsp powdered ginger
i tsp salt
Va tsp pepper

Farce de Pore

[Pork and Herb Stuffing]

Va cup finely minced onions
2 Tb butter
A 3-quart muting bowl

Cook the onions and butter slowly together in a small
saucepan until tender but not browned. Scrape into a
mixing bowl.

i cup fresh white bread
crumbs (French or home-
made-type bread)

•/2 cup lukewarm stock or
canned beef bouillon

Soak the bread crumbs in stock or bouillon for 5
minutes. Drain in a sieve and press out as much liquid
as you can. Save the liquid for your sauce, and place
the bread crumbs in the mixing bowl.

Vz lb. (1 cup) lean, fresh
pork ground with 4
ounces (V2 cup) fresh
pork fat

1 clove mashed garlic
Va tsp ground rosemary,
sage, or thyme
Va cup minced parsley
Pinch of allspice
V2 tsp salt
Va tsp pepper

1 egg

A wooden spatula or spoon

Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl
and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until well
mixed. Saute a teaspoonful until cooked through, and
taste for seasoning. Add more seasonings to the
stuffing if you feel it necessary.

Spread the stuffing on the lamb. Roll and tie as
described at the beginning of this section.

LEG OF LAMB

337

Farce aux Rognons

[Rice and Kidney Stuffing]

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the onions
in butter for 4 to 5 minutes until tender but not
browned. Add the rice and stir over low heat for 2 to 3
minutes until it turns a milky color. Pour in the stock
or chicken bouillon, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer
not too slowly for 15 minutes without stirring, at
which point the liquid should be absorbed and the
rice almost tender. It will finish cooking in the lamb.

Z 2 tsp ground rosemary, Fluff in the herbs, spice, pepper, and garlic with a
sage, or thyme fork. Add salt to taste.

Pinch of allspice
54 tsp pepper
Z2 clove mashed garlic
Salt to taste

54 cup finely minced onions
1 Tb butter
54 cup raw white rice
Vi cup white stock or
canned chicken bouillon

4 lamb kidneys, or a mixture
of lamb kidneys, heart,
and liver making about 1
cup in all

1 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil

Dry the meat in paper towels, and leave the pieces
whole. Saute quickly in hot butter and oil to brown
very lightly, leaving the interior of the meat rosy. Cut
into 54 -inch slices. Season lightly with salt and pepper,
and fold into the rice.

Salt and pepper When the stuffing is cool, spread it on the lamb. Roll

and tie the meat as described at the beginning of this
section.

VARIATIONS: Other Stuffings Following the General Procedures Outlined
Farce Duxelles
[Ham and Mushroom Stuffing]

54 cup minced onions, cooked in butter

54 lb. minced fresh mushrooms, cooked in butter

54 cup minced, lean boiled ham

54 cup finely minced fresh pork fat (or ham fat)

Salt, pepper, herbs

338

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Farce aux Olives

[Olive and Ground Lamb Stuffing]

V2 cup ground lean lamb

Vi cup minced onions, cooked in butter

1 cup stale white bread crumbs soaked in stock or bouillon and squeezed dry
12 pitted black Greek olives, simmered 10 minutes in 1 quart of water, drained, and
chopped
1 egg

Salt, pepper, herbs, allspice, and garlic

Farce Mentonnaise

[Salmon and Anchovy Stuffing]

An unlikely combination, but a good one

V2 cup drained, canned salmon
6 drained, mashed anchovies (packed in olive oil)

Z2 cup ground lean lamb

Va cup minced onions, sauteed in butter

Salt, pepper, herbs, garlic

GIGOT OU EPAULE DE PRE-SALE BRAISE (aux Haricots)

[Braised Leg or Shoulder of Lamb — with Beans]

Braising is a succulent way to do almost mature lamb or young mutton,
particularly if it has been stuffed with any of the preceding suggestions. Beans
may finish their cooking with the lamb, and will absorb a fine flavor from the
braising liquid. If you do not wish to include them, serve with the lamb a
puree of lentils or chestnuts, mashed potatoes, rice, or risotto. Other vegetables
to serve with braised lamb are green beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, baked to-
matoes, or a garniture of glazed carrots, turnips, onions, and sauteed mush-
rooms. A fairly full red wine goes well — Beaujolais, Bordeaux-St. fimilion,
Cotes du Rhone, or Burgundy.

A NOTE ON TIMING

Almost mature lamb or young mutton is usually braised 40 to 50 minutes
per pound, long enough for the meat, its stuffing, and the braising liquid to

LEG OF LAMB

339

exchange flavors. This makes 3% to 4 hours for a leg, and around 2/ hours
for a shoulder. Boned and stuffed lamb will usually take an hour longer. The
meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. You may, if you wish, cut the time
in half, and cook the meat only until die thermometer indicates 150 degrees
for medium rare, or 160 to 165 degrees for well done; in this case, there will
be little exchange of flavor between the various elements.

Beans. If you are to use dry white beans, their soaking and precooking
will take a good two hours. This is done while the lamb is braising.

For 8 to 10 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A 6- to 7-lb. leg or 4- to 5-lb.
shoulder of lamb, boned,
and stuffed, if you wish,
with one of the preceding
fillings

The lamb bones, sawed or
chopped

3 to 4 Tb rendered fresh
pork fat or cooking oil
A heavy fireproof casserole
or covered roaster just
large enough to hold all
ingredients
2 large sliced carrots
2 large sliced onions

2 cups of dry white wine, or
red wine, or 1Z2 cups dry
white vermouth

Z2 tsp salt
14 tsp pepper

3 to 4 cups beef stock or
canned beef bouillon

4 parsley sprigs
x bay leaf

1 tsp rosemary, thyme, or
sage

3 unpeeled cloves garlic
Optional: 3 Tb tomato paste
Aluminum foil

Brown the lamb on all sides, and then the bones in hot
fat or oil in the casserole or roaster. This will take 15
to 20 minutes. Remove to a side platter. Then brown
the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove them with
a slotted spoon to the platter. Pour out the browning
fat. Add the wine or vermouth and boil it down
rapidly, scraping up coagulated browning juices, un-
til reduced by half. Season the lamb and place it, its
fattiest side up, in the casserole or roaster. Surround
it with the browned bones and vegetables. Pour in
enough stock or bouillon to come two thirds of the
way up the meat. Stir in the herbs, garlic, and optional
tomato paste. Bring to the simmer on top of the
stove. Lay aluminum foil over the top of the casserole,
then the casserole cover. Place in lower third of pre-
heated oven and regulate so liquid is maintained at a
slow simmer. Turn and baste the meat every half
hour.

340

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Remove the lamb from the casserole when it is to
within half an hour of being done. (See A Note on
Timing, at beginning of recipe.) Strain and degrease
the cooking stock, and correct its seasoning. Return
meat and stock to the casserole and surround with the
beans which have been precooked as follows:

2/2 cups dry white Great Drop the beans into the boiling water. Bring quickly
Northern beans to the boil again and boil exactly 2 minutes. Set aside

6/2 cups boiling water for 1 hour. Immediately the soaking time is up, add

A 4-quart kettle the salt to the kettle, bring to the simmer, and simmer

1/2 Tb salt 1 hour. Set aside. The beans will finish their cooking

later with the lamb. After the lamb stock has been
degreased as described in the preceding paragraph,
drain the beans and add them to the casserole with the
lamb.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point. See note at
end of recipe.

Bring the casserole again to the simmer on top of the
stove. Cover, and return to the oven until the meat is
tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.

A hot platter
Parsley sprigs
A hot sauceboat

Drain the lamb, remove trussing strings, and place it
on a hot platter. Strain the beans and place them
around the meat. Decorate with parsley sprigs. De-
grease the cooking stock, correct seasoning, and pour
it into a hot sauceboat.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTES

If you wish to cook the meat in advance, braise it until tender. Then
strain and degrease die cooking stock and place meat and stock in the casse-
role. An hour before serving, reheat on top of the stove, then cover and place
in a 350-degree oven. In 20 minutes, add the beans and continue cooking for
about 30 minutes more. The meat should reach an internal temperature of
about 130 degrees.

Or follow the recipe but carve the meat when it is done. Arrange it in a
fireproof serving dish or casserole with the beans, and spoon part of the sauce
over it. Cover and reheat slowly for 10 minutes before serving.

LEG OF LAMB

34i

GIGOT EN CHEVREUIL

[Leg of Lamb or Mutton Marinated in Red Wine]

A large well-aged leg of lamb or a leg of young mutton marinated for
several days in wine will taste very much like a marinated leg of venison. It
is roasted and served, like venison, with a sauce poivrade or chevreuil. Braised
red cabbage with chestnuts, and a puree of celery root and potatoes go well
with it, plus a good red Burgundy wine. Any cold sliced leftovers will be de-
licious.

As the meat is marinated for a relatively long period of time, the mari-
nade containing vegetables is cooked so the vegetables will not turn sour. The
second marinade with bay leaves needs no cooking.

Marinade Cuite

[Cooked Wine Marinade]

i cup thinly sliced onions Cook the vegetables slowly in the olive oil in the

1 cup thinly sliced carrots covered saucepan for 5 minutes without allowing

Vi cup thinly sliced celery them to brown.

2 halved cloves garlic
Z2 cup olive oil

A 3-quart enameled sauce-
pan with cover

6 cups full-bodied, young
red wine: Macon, Cotes
du Rhone, Beaujolais,
Burgundy, Chianti
1V2 cups red wine vinegar
1 Tb salt

1 tsp peppercorns

2 cloves

5 parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 Tb rosemary
V2 tsp juniper berries, if
available, or !4 cup gin

Add the wine, the vinegar, and all the rest of the
ingredients. Simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
Allow the marinade to cool completely before using it.

342

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Marinade an Laurier

[Uncooked Wine Marinade with Bay Leaves]

6 cups red wine

1/2 cups wine vinegar

Vi cup olive oil

35 bay leaves

1 Tb salt

V2 tsp peppercorns

This alternative marinade needs no cooking, and is
just poured over the lamb.

Marinating and Roasting the Lamb

A 7- to 8-pound leg of well
aged lamb or young mut-
ton

Prepare the lamb for cooking as described on page
329. It may be boned if you wish.

Place it in an enameled, pyrex, porcelain, or stainless
steel bowl, roaster, or tub just large enough to hold it.
Pour the marinade over it. Turn and baste the lamb
3 or 4 times a day for 4 to 5 days at room temperature,
for 6 to 8 days if it is refrigerated.

Drain the lamb for half an hour or more on a rack.
Just before roasting, dry it thoroughly with paper
towels. Following directions in the master recipe for
roast lamb on page 332, baste it with fat and sear it
for 15 to 20 minutes in a 450-degree oven, then roast
it at 350 degrees to a medium rare, 147 to 150 degrees
on the meat thermometer.

If you are serving with it a sauce poivrade, page 70,
or sauce venaison, page 70, include / 2 cup of the
marinade liquid as part of the ingredients.

G 1 G 0 T A L’ANGLAISE

[Boiled Leg of Lamb with Onion, Caper, or Tomato Sauce]

This is a delicious and very easy way to cook a leg of lamb. Just simmer
it in a kettle of salted water until it is done, and you may let it stay in its kettle

LEG OF LAMB

343

an hour or more before serving. The only essential is that the lamb be a par-
ticularly fine and well aged piece, as its beauty resides entirely in its natural
flavor and tenderness. It is not necessary to add soup vegetables and herbs to
the cooking water since the lamb is simmered only until it is medium rare or
barely well done, and, except for the salt, there is no exchange of flavors.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
For a family-style vegetable garnish, carrots, turnips, onions, leeks, and
potatoes may be cooked for an hour with the lamb; tie them in cheesecloth
bundles for easy removal. For a more formal array, here are some other sug-
gestions to be cooked separately and combined as you wish:

Puree of turnips and potatoes, page 487
Garlic mashed potatoes, page 520
Soubise (rice and onions), page 485
Brussels sprouts, pages 449 to 455
String beans, pages 442 to 447
Ratatouille (eggplant casserole), page 503

If you choose onion sauce for the lamb, serve a red Bordeaux from the
Medoc district. With caper or tomato sauce, serve a chilled rose.

For 8 to 10 people

A 6-lb. leg of lamb

Prepare the lamb for cooking as described on page
329. It may be boned, rolled, and stuffed if you wish.

A meat thermometer
A ketde of rapidly boiling
water, large enough to
hold the lamb completely
submerged

1/2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

Insert a meat thermometer into the fleshiest part of
the lamb. Plunge the lamb into the boiling, salted
water. When the water comes back to the simmer,
begin timing: 12 to 15 minutes per pound, or 1 / to
i'/ 2 hours (147 to 150 degrees on the thermometer for
medium rare, 160 to 165 for well done). The water
must remain at a very slow simmer throughout the
cooking.

(*) After the lamb has been removed from the kettle,
it should cool at room temperature for about 20
minutes before it is carved. But if it is to be served
later than that, pour cold water into the kettle to cool
it to just below 150 degrees, so the lamb will not con-
tinue to cook. (Add i'/ 2 tsp salt per quart of water
poured into the kettle.) The lamb may rest thus for
an hour or more, and the kettle may be gently re-
heated if necessary.

344

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

3 cups of one of the follow-
ing sauces:

Sauce aux Cdpres (mock
hollandaise with egg
yolks, cream, capers,
and butter), page 65
Sauce Soubise (bechamel
with onion puree), page
64

Coulis de Tomates (fresh
tomato sauce with
herbs), page 78

While the lamb is simmering, prepare the sauce: 5
minutes or less for caper sauce, about 30 for onion
sauce, 1 J4 hours of simmering for tomato sauce.

3 Tb melted butter
■/4 cup minced parsley
A hot platter
A warmed sauceboat

Drain the lamb when you are ready to serve, and
place it on a hot platter. Baste it with the melted but-
ter and sprinkle it with parsley. Pass the sauce in a
warmed sauceboat.

LAMB STEW

RagoAts, Navarins, ct Haricots de Mouton

In France, mutton rather than lamb is preferred for stews because the
flesh of the more mature animal has more character. But, except for the tender-
fleshed stewing cuts of “genuine spring lamb” which are best in a blanquette,
lamb or mutton may be used interchangeably. Ragout, navarin, and haricot all
mean stew. Haricot according to most linguists is a corruption of halicoter, to
cut up. It does not therefore mean a lamb stew with beans. Stew meat is very
inexpensive; one can only wonder why, but be grateful when a dish like a
navarin is so delicious. Other lamb stews may be made like beef stew, and sug-
gestions are listed at the end of the navarin recipe.

CUTS FOR STEWING

All of the lamb for a stew may be from the same cut, but a more interest-
ing texture and sauce will be obtained if you use a mixture from the following
suggestions. Chop and leg meat are not recommended as they become dry and
stringy. Count on 1 pound of boneless meat for 2 people if your menu is small;
for 3, if large.

Shoulder — Epaule and Basses Cotes. Lean and meaty, a bit dry

Breast — Poitrine. Provides fat and texture

LAMB STEW

345

Short Ribs — Haut de Cotclcttes. Provide fat and texture, and the bones
give flavor

Neck — Collet. Has a gelatinous quality which gives body to the sauce.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Have excess fat and the fell or covering filament removed, and the meat
cut into 2-inch cubes weighing 2 to z/ z ounces. Any bones left in the meat will
give added flavor to the sauce. Most of them may be removed before serving.

TIMING

Allow about 2 hours for the cooking. Stews may be simmered on top of
the stove but the more uniform and surrounding heat of the oven is preferable.

* NAVARIN PRINTANIER

[Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables]

Navarin printanier, a most delectable lamb stew with its carrots, onions,
turnips, potatoes, peas, and green beans, is presumably done in the spring when
all the vegetables are young and tender. But as it can be made any time of the
year, it is not a seasonal dish any more thanks to deep freezing. Frozen peas and
beans are discussed on pages 449 and 466. The written recipe is long as each
detail is important if the navarin is to taste like a French masterpiece. But
none of the steps is difficult and everything except the addition of the green
vegetables at the very end may be made ready in the morning. The stew can
then be finished in xo to 15 minutes just before dinner time.

With the stew serve hot French bread, and a red Beaujolais or Bordeaux
wine, a chilled rose, or a fairly full-bodied, dry, chilled white wine such as a
Macon, Hermitage, or one of the lesser Burgundies.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3 lbs. lamb stew meat (see
list preceding recipe)

2 to 4 Tb rendered fresh
pork fat or cooking oil
A 10- to 12-inch skillet
A fireproof covered casse-

Cut the lamb into 2-inch cubes and dry with paper
towels. The meat will not brown if it is damp. Brown
a few pieces at a time in hot fat or oil in the skillet.
As they are browned, place them in the casserole.

346

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

role large enough to hold
the meat, and all the vege-
tables to come

i Tb granulated sugar

i tsp salt
14 tsp pepper
3 Tb flour

2 to 3 cups brown lamb- or
beef-stock or canned beef
bouillon

y 4 lb. ripe, red tomatoes,
peeled, seeded, juiced, and
chopped (i cup of pulp),
page 505; or 3 Tb tomato
paste

2 cloves mashed garlic
14 tsp thyme or rosemary
1 bay leaf

6 to 12 peeled “boiling”
potatoes
6 peeled carrots
6 peeled turnips
12 to 18 peeled white onions
about 1 inch in diameter

Sprinkle the lamb in the casserole with sugar and toss
over moderately high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the
sugar has caramelized. This will give a fine amber
color to the sauce.

Toss the meat with the salt and pepper, then with the
flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle level of pre-
heated oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Toss the meat and
return it to the oven for 4 to 5 minutes more. This
browns the flour evenly and coats the lamb with a
light crust. Remove casserole and turn oven down to
350 degrees.

Pour out the fat; add 2 cups of stock or bouillon to
the saute skillet. Bring to the boil and scrape up coagu-
lated saute juices. Then pour the liquid into the cas-
serole. Bring to the simmer for a few seconds shaking
and stirring to mix liquid and flour. Add the tomatoes
or tomato paste and the other ingredients. Bring to
the simmer for 1 minute, then add more stock if
necessary; meat should be almost covered by liquid.

Put the lid on the casserole and set in lower third of
preheated oven; regulate heat so casserole simmers
slowly and regularly for 1 hour. Then pour the con-
tents of the casserole into a sieve set over a bowl.
Rinse out the casserole. Remove any loose bones and
return the lamb to the casserole. Skim the fat off the
sauce in the bowl, correct seasoning, and pour sauce
back into casserole. Then add the vegetables which
have been prepared as follows :

While the lamb is simmering, trim the potatoes into
ovals i / 2 inches long, and cover with cold water until
ready to use. Quarter the carrots and turnips, cut them
into i / 2 inch lengths, and, if you have the patience,
trim the edges to round them slightly. Pierce a cross
in the root ends of the onions so they will cook evenly.

LAMB STEW

347

Press the vegetables into the casserole around and be-
tween the pieces of lamb. Baste with the sauce. Bring
to the simmer on top of the stove, cover and return
to the oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers slowly
and steadily for about an hour longer or until the
meat and vegetables are tender when pierced with a
fork. Remove from oven, tilt casserole, and skim off
fat. Taste sauce again, and correct seasoning.

i cup shelled green peas
l A lb. or about x cup green
beans cut into '/2-inch
pieces

3 quarts boiling water
i V2 Tb salt

While the casserole is in the oven, drop the peas and
beans into the boiling salted water and boil rapidly,
uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are
almost tender. Immediately drain in a colander. Run
cold water over them for 2 to 3 minutes to stop the
cooking and to set the color. Put aside until ready to
use.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point. Set casserole
aside, cover askew. Bring to the simmer on top of the
stove before proceeding with recipe.

Shortly before serving, place the peas and beans in the
casserole on top of the other ingredients and baste
with the bubbling sauce. Cover and simmer about 5
minutes or until the green vegetables are tender.

Serve the navarin from its casserole or arrange it on a
very hot platter.

VARIATIONS

The preceding navarin is a model for other stews. You may, for instance,
omit the green beans, peas, and potatoes, and add navy beans or lentils sim-
mered in salted water until almost tender, or canned kidney beans, then finish
them off for half an hour with the lamb. The following are prepared exactly
like beef stews.

Civet de M out on

[Lamb or Mutton Stew with Red Wine, Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon]

Follow the recipe for bocuf bourguignon, page 315, braising the lamb 2
hours rather than the 3^ to 4 hours required for beef.

348

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Pilaf de Mouton a la Catalane

[Lamb or Mutton Stew with Rice, Onions, and Tomatoes]

Follow die recipe for boeuf a la catalane, page 321, using boned shoulder
or shank. Time the cooking for about 2 hours rather than the 3 or 4 required
for beef.

Daube de Mouton

[Casserole of Lamb or Mutton with Wine, Mushrooms, Carrots, Onions,

and Herbs]

Follow the recipe for daube de boeuf, page 322, using boned shoulder or
shank. Cook the lamb for 2 hours radier than the 3 or 4 in the recipe.

Blanquette d’Agneau

[Spring Lamb Stew with Onions and Mushrooms]

This is a delicious stew for “genuine spring lamb,” and is cooked exactly
like the blanquette de veau on page 362 in the Veal section.

Lamb Shanks

Lamb shanks, jarrets de devant, are considered part of the shoulder in
France, so no special recipes are given for them. They may be boned or left
whole, and you should allow one shank per person. Use any of the preceding
lamb stew recipes. (Braised lamb shanks means that the meat is browned,
then simmered in a liquid, and is just another name for stew or fricassee.)

LAMB PATTIES

Fricadelles d’ Agneau

Delicious “lamburgers” may be made using freshly ground neck or other
lean meat and mixing it with any of the stuffing suggestions for boned lamb
on page 336-8.

Except for the garlic and herb stuffing, which is a flavoring only, use 1
part of stuffing for 3 to 4 parts of ground lamb. Saute and sauce them accord-
ing to directions in the hamburger recipes which begin on page 301.

MOUSSAKA

349

MOUSSAKA

MOUSSAKA

[Lamb and Eggplant Mold]

Lamb can hardly be considered a leftover when it receives this elaborate
treatment. A mold is lined with the skins of cooked eggplant, and filled with
a carefully seasoned mixture of cooked lamb, eggplant, and mushrooms. It
presents itself after baking and unmolding as a shiny, dark purple cylinder
surrounded with a deep red tomato sauce. It is delicious either hot or cold.

Serve the moussaka with steamed rice or risotto, and buttered green beans
or a green salad. A fairly full-bodied, dry, chilled white wine such as a Macon
or Hermitage goes well with it. Moussaka also makes a handsome cold dish
served with tomato salad and French bread.

For 8 people

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, in time to bake the egg-
plant.

Ingredients for 3 cups of Set tomato sauce to simmer,
tomato sauce, page 76

5 lbs. of eggplant (five i-lb.
eggplants if possible, each
7 to 8 inches long)

1 Tb salt

2 Tb olive oil

A shallow roasting pan

Remove green caps and slice eggplants in half length-
wise. Cut deep gashes in the flesh of each half, but do
not pierce the skin. Sprinkle flesh with salt and let
stand for 30 minutes. Wash under cold water, squeeze
out juice, and dry on paper towels. Rub with olive oil
and set eggplants skin side down in a roasting pan.
Pour in / 2 inch of water. Bake in upper third of pre-
heated oven for about half an hour, or until just
tender.

A 9- to 10-inch skillet
% cup (3 ounces) finely
minced onions
1 Tb olive oil
A 3-quart mixing bowl

While eggplants are baking, cook the onions slowly in
olive oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender but not
browned. Scrape into mixing bowl.

V2 lb. finely minced mush-
rooms

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

A handful at a time, twist mushrooms into a ball in
the corner of a towel to extract their juice. Add the
juice to the tomato sauce. Saute the mushrooms and
shallots or onions in olive oil for 5 minutes or so,

350

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

1Z2 Tb olive oil

3 Tb olive oil

V2 tsp olive oil
A 2-quart cylindrical mold
(preferably a charlotte)
4 inches high and 7 inches
in diameter

2/4 cups ground cooked
lamb
1 tsp salt
Z2 tsp thyme
Z2 tsp pepper
Z2 tsp rosemary
1 medium clove crushed
garlic

Vi cup thick brown sauce,
pages 66 to 71 (prefer-
ably Numbers I or II; but
the quick sauce, Number
III, can be used)

3 Tb tomato paste
3 eggs

Aluminum foil

A pan of boiling water
A hot serving platter
The tomato sauce
A sauceboat

until pieces separate from each other. Add to mixing
bowl.

When eggplants are tender, carefully scoop out the
flesh with a spoon, leaving the skin intact. Chop half
the flesh and place in the mixing bowl. Dice or slice
the rest and toss it briefly in very hot olive oil to
brown lightly. Set aside until later.

Oil the mold. Line it with the eggplant skins, their
purple sides against the mold; place each lengthwise,
a pointed end at the center of the bottom of the mold,
the other end falling down outside the mold.

Reset oven to 375 degrees. Add all ingredients at the
left to the mixing bowl containing the onions, mush-
rooms, and chopped eggplant. Beat vigorously with a
wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. Taste carefully
for seasoning. Spread an inch of the mixture in the
bottom of the mold. Arrange over that a layer of the
previously sauteed eggplant. Continue thus, ending
with a layer of the lamb mixture. Fold the dangling
ends of eggplant skin up over the surface. Cover the
mold with foil and a lid or plate.

( # ) May be prepared ahead to this point.

Set mold in a pan of boiling water. Bake in bottom
third of oven for i/ 2 hours. Remove and let cool for
10 minutes. Reverse on a hot serving platter and sur-
round with Zi cup of the tomato sauce. Pass the rest
of the sauce separately.

VEAL

Veau

Veal is an interesting and delicious meat when it is cooked well, and like
chicken it lends itself to a variety of flavorings and sauces. The best quality of

ROAST VEAL

351

veal is milk-fed and is between 5 and 12 weeks old. The flesh is firm, smooth,
fine-grained, and of a very pale pink color. The fat, which is white and satiny,
is concentrated almost entirely inside the carcass around the kidneys. The bones
are soft and reddish and can easily be sawed without splintering. After 12
weeks veal becomes calf and is of no further culinary interest until it develops
into beef. At whatever age the veal animal leaves its milk diet and starts in on
grain or grass, its flesh becomes increasingly rosy until, when it is almost of
calf age, it is frankly reddish. A considerable amount of the veal found in
American markets is partially grass or grain fed, and its flesh color ranges from
dark pink to light red. It can make reasonably good eating, but never has the
delicacy, flavor, and tenderness of milk-fed veal. Train yourself when shopping
for veal to look carefully at its color. Once you are aware of what good quality
should look like, you can avoid the reddish pieces. You will be more likely to
find the better qualities of veal in markets catering to a European clientele.

CASSEROLE-ROASTED VEAL

Veau Poele

With no natural fat covering and no marblings of fat inside the meat,
a roast of veal will always be juicier and have more flavor if it is cooked in a
covered casserole with aromatic vegetables. This is a particularly good method
for the rather dark pink veal most frequently found in American markets.

CUTS FOR ROASTING

Count on 1 pound of boneless meat for 2 or 3 people.

Round Roast — Cuisseau Raccourci. An American duplication of French
cuts of the hind leg of veal is not possible as the two cutting methods are en-
tirely different. Because the French animal is larger and older, between 5 and
12 weeks rather than the usual 3 to 6 of American veal, the French round is
separated into lengthwise muscles like beef. These are top round or noix, bot-
tom round or sous noix, and sirloin tip or noix patissiere; they make compact,
boneless, cylindrical roasts which carve into neat slices. Top round and sirloin
tip are the choice morsels, and top round is also used for scallops. The Ameri-
can round is formed into roasts, steaks, or scallops by cutting directly across
the grain, so one piece contains the top and bottom rounds and the sirloin tip.

Rump — Culotte. This should be boned and rolled.

Sirloin — Quasi. This should be boned and rolled.

352

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Loin or Saddle— Longe, or Selle, or if the kidneys are included, Rognon-
nade. This is the loin-chop section. When used for roasts, it is usually boned
and rolled, and is an expensive cut.

Shoulder — Epaule. This is boned and rolled, and is less expensive than the
previously listed roasts. It is not always available as some markets do not buy
the forequarters of veal.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Select a boneless roast from any of the veal cuts in the list. It should weigh
at least 3 pounds. Have it tied to make, if possible, a compact cylindrical shape
4 to 5% inches in diameter. As it is usually not the custom of American butch-
ers to place thin strips of fresh pork fat along the top, bottom, and sides of a
roast, we have suggested strips of blanched bacon in the recipes to follow; the
bacon bastes the veal as it cooks.

TIMING AND TEMPERATURES

Veal is always cooked to well done; that is, until its juices run a clear
yellow with no trace of rosy color — about 175 degrees on a meat thermometer.
If the meat is at room temperature when it goes into the oven, estimate 30
to 40 minutes per pound depending on the thickness of the meat.

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Starchy vegetables

Risotto, page 532, or soubise (rice and onions), page 485

Potatoes scalloped in cream, page 524, or sauteed in butter, page 526

Buttered noodles

Other vegetables

Braised lettuce, page 489, endive, page 493, or celery, page 491, or baked
cucumbers, page 499

Spinach braised in cream or in stock, page 470

Brussels sprouts with cream, page 452, or with cheese sauce, page 453

Creamed, stuffed, or sauteed mushrooms, pages 513 to 516

Buttered peas, page 462, and tomatoes stuffed with herbs, page 507

A garniture of glazed carrots, page 479, onions, page 481, turnips, page 488
and sauteed mushrooms, page 5x3

WINE SUGGESTION

A good, red Bordeaux from the Medoc district is usually the best choice.

ROAST VEAL

353

* VEAU POELE

[Casserole-roasted Veal]

This is a very simple and savory recipe for veal. The meat renders a cer-
tain amount of juice as it roasts, so no special sauce is necessary if you are con-
tent with the French system of a spoonful per serving to moisten the meat.
For more sauce, see the suggestion at the end of the recipe.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A 3-lb. roast of veal, boned Dry the veal on paper towels,
and tied

A heavy fireproof casserole
just large enough to hold
the veal easily
2 Tb butter
2 Tb oil

Place the casserole over moderately high heat with the
butter and oil. When you see the butter foam begin
to subside, brown the veal lightly on all sides; this
takes 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the veal.

3 Tb butter, if needed
2 sliced carrots
2 sliced onions
A medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, Z2 bay leaf,
and !4 tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

If the browning fat has burned, pour it out and add
butter. Stir in the vegetables and herb bouquet, cover,
and cook over low heat for 5 minutes without brown-
ing.

Vi tsp salt
V 4 tsp pepper
A meat thermometer
2 strips of fat bacon, sim-
mered for xo minutes in 1
quart of water, rinsed,
drained, and dried
Aluminum foil
Bulb baster

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the veal. Return it to
the casserole and baste with the butter in the casserole.
Insert meat thermometer. Lay the blanched bacon
over the meat, then the foil. Cover the casserole and
set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so
meat cooks slowly and steadily for about i'/2 hours.
Baste it 2 or 3 times with the juices in the casserole.
The roast is done at a thermometer reading of 175
degrees, or as soon as its juices run clear yellow when
the meat is pricked deeply with a fork.

A hot platter
Salt and pepper
A hot gravy boat

Place the veal on a hot platter and discard trussing
strings. The veal and vegetables will have produced a
cup or more of juice in the casserole. Remove all but

354

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2 tablespoons of fat from them. Set casserole over
moderate heat while scraping up any coagulated cook-
ing juices from the bottom and sides with a wooden
spoon, and mashing the vegetables into the liquid.
Boil down rapidly if necessary; you should have / to
i cup. Correct seasoning, and strain into a hot gravy
boat. Garnish the meat platter with whatever vegeta-
bles you have chosen, and serve.

(*) If you are not serving immediately, return the
veal and sauce to the casserole, cover partially, and set
in turned-off hot oven where it will stay warm for
half an hour at least.

VARIATION

Veau Poele a la Matignon
[Casserole-roasted Veal with Diced Vegetables]

Vi cup Madeira Follow the master recipe for roast veal, but instead of

slicing the carrots and onions, cut them into ‘4'inch
dice. After browning the veal, remove it and cook the
vegetables slowly in butter for io minutes. Then add
the Madeira and boil it down rapidly until it has al-
most completely evaporated. Return the meat to the
casserole and spread half the vegetables over it, leaving
the rest in the bottom of the casserole. Proceed with
the recipe.

i cup good brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
I Tb arrowroot or corn-
starch blended with 2 Tb
Madeira

Optional: 1 diced canned
truffle and juice from the
can

When the veal is done and has been removed from the
casserole, add the stock or bouillon and simmer for
5 minutes. Then remove the herb bouquet and bacon,
and degrease the sauce. Pour in the starch mixture
and optional truffles and truffle juice. Simmer for 5
minutes. Correct seasoning. Sauce should be lightly
thickened.

2 Tb softened buttei
A warmed sauceboat

Off heat, and just before serving, add the butter by
bits, swirling the sauce in the casserole until each addi-
tion has been absorbed. Ladle a spoonful of sauce and
vegetables over the meat. Pour the rest into the
warmed sauceboat.

ROAST VEAL

355

VEAU PRINCE ORLOEF

[Veal Gratineed with Onions and Mushrooms]

This delicious creation is fine for a party as it may be prepared in the
morning and reheated in the evening. The veal is cooked and sliced, re-formed
with a spreading of onions and mushrooms between each slice, and covered
with a light cheese sauce. It is reheated and browned before serving. Braised
lettuce or endive go particularly well with this roast, and either a red Bordeaux
wine from the Medoc district or a chilled white Burgundy.

For 10 to 12 people

Brown the veal, and roast it for about i/ hours (to
175 degrees on a meat thermometer) in a covered cas-
serole as described in the master recipe, page 353.
Then allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes at room
temperature; it will be carved when the preparations
which follow are ready.

A i-quart saucepan Strain the roasting juices into the saucepan and skim

off fat. Boil juices down rapidly to reduce to 1 cup.
They will go into your veloute sauce later.

While the veal is roasting, prepare the onions and
mushrooms as follows :

Soubise ( rice and onions)

14 cup raw white rice Drop the rice into boiling salted water. Boil 5 minutes.

2 quarts boiling water Drain.

1 Tb salt

3 Tb butter Melt the butter in the casserole, stir in the onions and

A 6- to 8-cup, heavy, fire- salt, and coat well with butter; stir in the rice. (No

proof casserole with cover liquid is added; the onions provide enough for the

1 lb. (3 Vi cups) sliced yel- rice.) Cover and cook over very low heat or in the

low onions oven next to the veal for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until

Zi tsp salt the rice and onions are very tender but not browned.

Mushroom duxelles

V2 lb. finely minced fresh A handful at a time, squeeze the mushrooms in the

mushrooms (makes 2 corner of a towel to extract their juice. Then saute

cups) them with the shallots or onions in hot butter and oil

Roasting the veal

A 5-lb. boned and tied roast
of veal

r

356

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

3 Tb minced shallots or for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the pieces begin to separate
green onions from each other. Season to taste and set aside.

2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

An 8-inch enameled skillet
or heavy-bottomed enam-
eled saucepan
Salt and pepper

When the roast is done, prepare the following sauce
and the filling:

T hicl{ veloute sauce
6 Tb butter

A 2-quart, heavy-bottomed
enameled saucepan
8 Tb flour
A wooden spoon

3 cups boiling liquid: the
veal-roasting juices plus
milk

A wire whip
Pinch of nutmeg
14 tsp salt
14 tsp pepper

14 cup whipping cream Pour 1 cup of sauce into the cooked rice and onions.

Beat the cream into the rest of the sauce and set it in
a pan of simmering water to continue cooking slowly.

Rice, onion, and mushroom filling

The cooked rice and onions Puree the rice and onions through a sieve or in an

The mushroom duxelles electric blender. Add the puree to the mushrooms,

14 cup whipping cream, pour in % cup cream, and simmer for 5 minutes,

more if needed stirring. The filling should be thick enough to hold its

Salt and pepper shape quite solidly in a spoon. Boil down if not thick

enough; thin out with spoonfuls of cream if too thick.
Correct seasoning.

Final assembly

A lightly buttered, fireproof Carve the veal into neat serving slices about s /iq of an

serving platter 1V2 inches inch thick, piling them to one side in the order in

deep and about 14 inches which you sliced them. The roast is now to be re-
long turned in slices to the serving platter: Place the last

Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour and
cook slowly together, stirring, until they foam for 2
minutes without coloring. Remove from heat, pour in
all the boiling liquid at once and beat vigorously with
wire whip. Beat in the seasonings. Bring to the boil,
stirring, and boil for 1 minute. Correct seasoning.
Sauce will be very thick.

ROAST VEAL

357

Salt and pepper
The filling

slice you carved in the platter, sprinkle lightly with
salt and pepper, then spread with a spoonful of the
filling. Overlap the next slice of veal on the first,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, spread with filling, and
continue thus down the length of the platter. Spread
any extra filling around and over the meat.

T he remaining veloute sauce

2 to 3 Tb cream, if needed
'A cup grated Swiss cheese

3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
3 Tb melted butter

Bring the sauce to the simmer and correct seasoning.
It should be thick enough to coat a spoon fairly
heavily; thin out with more spoonfuls of cream, if
necessary. Off heat, beat in the cheese.

Spoon the sauce over the roast. Sprinkle the cheese
over it, and dribble on the melted butter.

( # ) May be prepared ahead to this point. Set aside un-
covered until ready to reheat.

About 30 to 40 minutes before serving, set in the upper
position of a preheated, 375-degree oven until the
sauce is bubbling and the top has browned lightly. Do
not overcook, or the meat will dry out and lose charac-
ter.

Once ready, the dish will stay warm for 20 to 30
minutes in the turned-off hot oven, its door ajar.

VEAU SYLVIE

[Veal Roasted with Ham and Cheese]

In this recipe, deep slits are cut in the roast of veal from one end to the
other, and the meat is marinated in brandy, Madeira, and aromatic vegetables,
then stuffed with slices of ham and cheese. It is roasted in a covered casserole
and, when sliced, the ham and cheese appear to have melted into the veal.
Serve with the roast any of the wine and vegetable suggestions on page 352.
Veau Sylvie also makes a good cold roast just as it is or glazed with aspic.

The French cut for tliis would be a noix or top round of veal, as it is a
long, cylindrical piece with no muscle separations. Rump, round, and sirloin

358

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

are more difficult to handle but can be managed perfectly well; a boned section
from the rib roast would be the best alternative, though more expensive.

For 10 to 12 people

A 5-lb. boneless roast of veal,
as solid as possible and in
a loaf shape

So that the roast may be stuffed, deep slits are cut
from one end to the other to make it open like the
leaves of a book: make a series of deep, parallel cuts
x to i/ 2 inches apart starting at the top and going
with the grain the length of the meat from one end
of the roast to the other, and to within l / 2 inch of the
bottom of the roast. You will thus have 3 or 4 thick
pieces of meat which are free at the top and sides, but
which are all attached together at the bottom of the
roast. If your meat contains many muscle separations
it will look very messy and uneven at this point, but
the roast is tied into shape later.

14 cup cognac
V2 cup Madeira
2 Tb olive oil
Va cup sliced carrots
Va cup sliced onions
1 Tb salt

A large herb bouquet with
peppercorns: 6 parsley

sprigs, 1 bay leaf, V2 tsp
thyme, and 6 peppercorns
tied in cheesecloth
6 or more large slices of
boiled ham Yl g inch thick
12 or more large slices of
Swiss cheese Yl(i inch
thick

White string

Choose a glazed bowl large enough to hold the meat
easily. Mix the marinade ingredients at the left in
the bowl. Add the meat and baste it with the
marinade. Turn and baste the meat every hour or so,
and marinate for 6 hours or overnight. Then scrape
off the marinade ingredients and dry the meat in
paper towels. Reserve the marinade. Lay the roast so
its bottom rests on your cutting board. Completely
cover each leaf of meat with a layer of ham between
two layers of cheese. The exterior of the two outside
leaves is not covered. Then close the leaves of meat
together to re-form the roast. Tie loops of white string
around the circumference of the meat to hold it in
shape. If the roast is not neat looking, no matter; it
will firm up during its cooking. Dry the roast again
with paper towels so it will brown nicely.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

4 Tb butter
2 Tb oil

A covered fireproof casserole
large enough to hold the
meat

A bulb baster

Strain the marinade, reserving the liquid. Cook the
marinade vegetables slowly in the butter and oil in the
casserole for 5 minutes. Push them to the sides of the
casserole. Raise heat to moderately high, put the veal
in, uncut side down, and let the bottom brown for 5
minutes. Then baste with the butter and oil in the

ROAST VEAL

359

casserole. Place the casserole uncovered in the upper
third of the oven to brown the top and sides of the
meat for about 15 minutes. Baste every 4 to 5 minutes
with the butter in the casserole.

Z2 tsp salt
Zs tsp pepper

2 strips of fat bacon sim-
mered for 10 minutes in 1
quart of water, rinsed,
drained, and dried
A meat thermometer
Aluminum foil

Turn oven down to 325 degrees. Remove the casserole,
pour in the marinade liquid and boil it down rapidly
on top of the stove until it is reduced to one third of
its volume. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
Place the bacon over it. Insert a meat thermometer,
lay the foil over the meat, cover the casserole and
place it in the lower third of the oven. Regulate heat
so meat cooks slowly and steadily for about 2/2 hours,
or to a thermometer reading of 175 degrees. Baste 3 or
4 times with the juices in the casserole during this

Serve the veal and prepare the sauce as described in
the master recipe, veau poele, on page 353.

The meat should rest at room temperature for about
20 minutes before being carved, and it is carved in
crosswise slices so each piece has lardings of cheese
and ham.

VEAL STEW

Saute de Veau - Blanquctte de Veau

In France the favorite cut of veal for stews is tendron, the part of the
breast which contains the cartilaginous false ribs. Its combination of meat and
gelatin gives the sauce a fine body, and the cooked tendron has a special and
slightly crunchy eating-quality all its own. However, this particular morsel
does not charm all American palates. Time and again we have noticed a guest
push it off to the side of his plate, obviously indicating he has no intention of
eating that inferior bit of budget meat. Therefore, unless you know or can
train your American audience, it is probably wiser to choose other parts of the
veal. A combination of cuts is the best alternative, some with bones, some with
cartilage, and some lean meat. Rump, sirloin, and round tend to be dry, but
there are those who prefer them anyway. If you are using boneless meat, in-

360

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

elude a cupful or so of cracked veal bones with the stew so your sauce will
develop more flavor and body.

RECOMMENDED STEWING CUTS

Allow i pound of boneless meat for 2 or 3 people, depending on the rest
of your menu; about % pound per person for bone-in meat such as breast and
ribs.

Breast — Poitrine, T endron

Short Ribs — Haut de Cotes

Shoulder and Shoulder Chops — Epaule and Cotes Decouvertes

Neck — Collet

Heel of Round or Shank — Nerveux Gite a la Noix or J arret

(Rump, Round, and Sirloin are less recommended but may be used if
you wish)

STEWING TIME

Allow i 1 /^ to 1% hours.

SAUTE DE VEAU MARENGO

[Brown Veal Stew with Tomatoes and Mushrooms]

The flavors of Provence go into tliis uncomplicated and hearty dish.
Steamed rice or noodles go well with it, and green peas or beans. Serve a chilled
rose wine, or a strong, young, white wine. As with all stews, this one may be
cooked in advance and reheated just before serving.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3 lbs. veal stew meat from
the preceding list, cut into
2-ounce, 2-inch pieces
2 to 3 Tb olive oil, more if
needed

A 10- to 12-inch skillet
A 4-quart fireproof casserole

Dry the veal on paper towels. Heat the oil in the skillet
until almost smoking. Then brown the meat, a few
pieces at a time, and arrange the browned pieces in
the casserole.

1 cup minced yellow onions Lower heat to moderate. Pour all but a tablespoon of

oil out of the skillet, and brown the onions lightly for
5 to 6 minutes.

VEAL STEW

361

1 tsp salt

Za tsp pepper

2 Tb flour

2 cups dry white wine or dry
white vermouth

1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes
peeled, seeded, juiced, and
roughly chopped (1Z2
cups), page 505

OR, 1 cup drained and
strained canned toma-
toes or tomato puree
Zz tsp basil or tarragon
Zz tsp thyme

A 3-inch strip of orange
peel Zz inch wide or Z2 tsp
bottled ground orange
peel

2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Zz lb. fresh button mush-
rooms or quartered larger
mushrooms

Zz Tb cornstarch mixed
with 1 Tb water, if needed

While the onions are browning, toss the meat in the
casserole with salt and pepper, then with the flour.
Toss and stir over moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes to
brown the flour lightly. Remove from heat.

Add the wine to the skillet with the browned onions.
Boil for 1 minute, scraping up coagulated saute juices.
Pour the wine and onions into the casserole and bring
to the simmer, shaking and stirring to mix the liquid
and flour.

Stir the tomatoes into the casserole. Add the herbs,
orange peel, and garlic. Bring again to the simmer and
season lightly to taste. Cover and set in lower third of
oven to simmer slowly for 1% to 1 V2 hours or until
the meat is almost tender when pierced with a fork.

Add the mushrooms to the casserole and baste them
with the sauce. Bring again to the simmer on top of
the stove. Then cover and return the casserole to the
oven for 15 minutes more.

Remove casserole from oven. Pour contents into a
sieve placed over a saucepan. Remove the strip of
orange peel and return the meat and vegetables to the
casserole. Skim the fat off the sauce in the saucepan
and boil the sauce down rapidly until it has reduced
to about 2/2 cups. It should be lightly thickened, and
a rich reddish brown. If too thin, blend in the starch
and water and simmer for 2 minutes. Correct season-
ing, and pour the sauce back into the casserole over
the veal.

( # ) May be done ahead to this point. Set aside, cover
askew.

362

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

2 to 3 Tb minced fresh tarra- Shortly before serving, cover and bring to the simmer
gon, basil, or parsley for 5 to 10 minutes. Present the stew in its casserole, or

on a platter surrounded by rice or noodles. Decorate
with fresh herbs.

BLANQUETTE DE VEAU A L’ANCIENNE

[Veal Stew with Onions and Mushrooms]

Blanquette de veau, a much-loved stew in France, is veal simmered in
a lightly seasoned white stock. It is served in a sauce veloute made from the
veal cooking stock and enriched with cream and egg yolks. A blanquette is
certainly not difficult to make, and except for the cream and egg yolk liaison
at the end, which takes less than 10 minutes, all of it may be cooked in ad-
vance. However, as it is supposed to be a lovely and delicate dish, it should
really not be attempted unless you can find veal of good quality and of the
palest pink color.

Serve it with noodles or rice, or boiled or mashed potatoes. No other
vegetables are needed with the mushrooms and onions, but you could include
green peas, artichoke hearts, or baked cucumbers. A red Bordeaux-Medoc or
chilled rose wine would go well.

TECHNICAL NOTE ON SCUM REMOVAL

As veal comes to the simmer it releases a tremendous amount of gray-
brown scum which must be removed by one means or another. American veal,
probably because it is younger than most French veal, seems particularly scum-
productive. You can skim continually while the veal simmers for the first 30
to 40 minutes. You can let it simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the veal and
wash it rapidly in cold water, wash out the casserole, strain the stock through
several thicknesses of damp cheesecloth, and continue with the recipe. Or you
can adopt the following blanching process, which is the simplest. As long as
all the scum is removed, it makes no difference which method you use; pick
the one which best suits your predilections and prejudices.

For 6 people

Cooking the veal

3 lbs. veal stew meat cut into Place the veal in the casserole and cover with cold
2-ounce, 2-inch pieces water by 2 inches. Bring to the simmer and simmer 2

VEAL STEW

363

(cuts are listed on page
3 6 °)

A 3- to 4-quart, fireproof,
enameled casserole

5 to 6 cups cold white stock
or good canned chicken
broth

1 large onion studded with
1 clove

1 large carrot, peeled and
quartered

A medium herb bouquet
and 2 celery stalks: 8 pars-
ley stems (not the leaves),
Z2 bay leaf, Z2 tsp thyme,
and 2 medium celery
stalks tied in cheesecloth

Salt

The onions

18 to 24 peeled white onions
about 1 inch in diameter
V2 cup of stock dipped from
the simmering veal cas-
serole

14 tsp salt
1 Tb butter

minutes. Drain the veal and wash it rapidly under
cold water to remove all traces of scum. Wash out the
casserole. Return the meat to the casserole.

Pour on stock or broth to cover the veal by Zi inch.
Bring slowly to the simmer, and skim as necessary for
several minutes. Add the vegetables and herb bouquet.
Taste for seasoning and salt lightly if necessary. Cover
partially and simmer very slowly for 1% to i V2 hours,
or until the veal is tender when pierced with a fork.
It should not be overcooked.

While the blanquette is simmering, prepare the
onions : Following directions for white-braised onions
on page 481, pierce a cross in the root ends and sim-
mer for 30 to 40 minutes in a small, covered saucepan
with the veal stock, salt, and butter. Set them aside.

When the veal is tender, pour the contents of the
casserole into a colander set over a bowl. Rinse out the
casserole and return the meat to the casserole, remov-
ing any loose bones. Arrange the cooked onions over
the meat.

Sauce veloute (3Z2 cups), and mushrooms

An 8-cup, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan

4 Tb butter

5 Tb flour

A wooden spoon
3 14 cups of veal cooking
stock

In the saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, and
stir over low heat until they foam together for 2
minutes. Off heat, pour in the veal stock, beating
vigorously with a wire whip. Bring the sauce to the
boil, stirring. Simmer for 10 minutes, frequently
skimming off the film which rises to the surface. Fold
in the mushroom caps and simmer 10 minutes more,

364

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

A wire whip skimming. Taste the sauce very carefully for season-

18 to 24 fresh mushroom ing, adding salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste,
caps about 1 inch in di-
ameter, tossed with 1 Tb
lemon juice
Salt and white pepper
1 to 2 Tb lemon juice

2 Tb cream or stock Pour the sauce and mushrooms over the veal. Film

the top of the sauce with 2 spoonfuls of cream or
stock to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside,
partially covered.

(*) May be done ahead to this point.

Cream and egg yol\ enrichment

3 e gg yolks
Zz cup whipping cream
A 6-cup mixing bowl
A wire whip

About 10 to 15 minutes before serving, reheat slowly
to the simmer, basting the veal with the sauce. Cover
and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Blend the egg yolks and cream in the bowl with wire
whip. Beat in by spoonfuls 1 cup of the hot sauce.
Then pour the mixture into the casserole, tilting it and
basting the veal and vegetables to blend the rest of the
sauce with the egg yolk mixture.

Set over moderate heat, gently shaking the casserole
until sauce has thickened lightly, but do not let it
come to the simmer. (If not served at once, film the
top of the sauce with a spoonful or two of stock,
partially cover the casserole, and keep warm over hot
but not simmering water for 10 to 15 minutes.)

2 Tb minced parsley Serve from the casserole or on a platter surrounded

with rice, noodles, or potatoes. Decorate with parsley.

VEAL SCALLOPS

Escalopes de Veau

French veal scallops are boneless slices of meat cut % inch thick which
are flattened to a thickness of % inch. So that each scallop will constitute a
neat, flat serving piece, it is cut across the grain from a solid piece of veal which
contains no muscle separations. Scallops take from 8 to 10 minutes to cook,

VEAL SCALLOPS

365

may be elegantly or simply sauced, and are always an expensive delicacy. They
may be breaded or floured but are best, in our opinion, when sauteed au no-
turel.

AMOUNT TO BUY

Allow 2 or 3 scallops per person, depending on the size of the pieces of
meat.

QUALITY

Because it is cooked so quickly, the veal should be of good quality, tender,
and of the palest pink you can find. Dark pink and reddish veal tends to be
tough when cooked this way.

SCALLOPS CUT FROM THE ROUND ROAST

In France, because of the French method of cutting the leg into length-
wise muscles, scallops are usually taken from the top round or noix. This cut
gives solid slices of meat, with no muscle separations, which cook without
curling. You may obtain the same effect if you buy slices of round roast % inch
thick, and then separate them into their natural muscle divisions. The largest
piece is the top round, which may be cut in half. The bottom round with its
eye insert will furnish one or two more scallops. Usually one more of reasona-
ble size can be found among the muscle divisions which make up the sirloin
tip at the side of the meat nearest the bone. Smaller pieces may be saved for
second helpings or reserved for stew or for ground meat.

SCALLOPS CUT FROM RIB CHOPS

Rib chops are more expensive but easier to use and furnish scallops all
of the same size. Have your butcher bone a length of the rib section (rack)
and cut the meat into %-inch slices across the grain. Bones and trimming may
be saved for veal stock.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Remove the transparent filaments, or the skin and any fat surrounding
the scallops. If left on, the meat will curl up as it cooks. Place each scallop be-
tween sheets of waxed paper and pound briefly and not too roughly; use a
mallet, the flat of a cleaver, or a rolling pin to reduce the scallop to a thickness
of ’/4 inch. If they are not to be cooked immediately, wrap the scallops in
waxed paper and refrigerate them.

366

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

* ESCALOPES DE VEAU A LA CREME

[Sauteed Veal Scallops with Mushrooms and Cream]

This recipe for veal scallops makes a perfect main course for a chic little
luncheon. If you are reasonably quick you can complete it in 30 minutes or
less, and you may prepare it in advance; it only needs a 5-minute heating be-
fore it is ready to eat. Serve with it buttered rice or risotto, green beans, peas,
or braised endive, and a chilled white Burgundy wine.

For 6 people

12 veal scallops prepared ac-
cording to the preceding
directions

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil,
more as necessary
A 10- to 12-inch enameled
skillet

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
2 Tb butter if needed

Z2 cup dry white wine or Zi
cup dry white vermouth
or Madeira

Zs cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
A wooden spoon

1Z2 cups whipping cream
Z2 Tb arrowroot or corn-

Dry the scallops thoroughly on paper towels. The
meat will not brown if it is damp.

Place the butter and oil in the skillet over moderately
high heat. When you see that the butter foam has al-
most subsided, arrange 3 or 4 pieces of veal in the
skillet. Do not crowd them together. Saute on one
side for 4 to 5 minutes regulating heat so fat is very
hot but is not burning. Turn, and saute the meat on
its other side for 4 to 5 minutes. (Each scallop should
be lightly browned and cooked to the point where the
juices have turned from rose to yellow. It is done when
it has just become resistant to the pressure of your
finger.) Remove the scallops to a dish, and continue
with the rest in the same manner, adding more butter
and oil as needed.

Pour all but 2 tablespoons of fat out of the skillet. If
fat has burned, discard it and add 2 Tb butter. Stir in
the shallots or onions and cook slowly for 1 minute.

Pour the wine and stock or bouillon into the skillet
and scrape up all the coagulated cooking juices with
wooden spoon. Boil rapidly until liquid has reduced
to about % cup.

Pour the cream and the starch mixture into the skillet
and boil for several minutes until cream has reduced

VEAL SCALLOPS

367

starch blended with 1 Tb and thickened slightly. Remove from heat and season
water with salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper to taste

Zi lb. sliced fresh mush-
rooms
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
Salt and pepper

In a separate skillet, saute the mushrooms in very hot
butter and oil for 4 to 5 minutes to brown them
lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and
scrape them into the cream sauce. Simmer for 1
minute. Remove from heat and correct seasoning.

Salt and pepper Sprinkle salt and pepper over the sauteed scallops and

arrange in the skillet, basting with the cream and
mushrooms.

(*) May be done ahead to this point. Set skillet aside,
partially covered.

Several minutes before serving, cover the skillet and
bring almost to the simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, to
warm the veal thoroughly but not to overcook it.

A hot platter
Parsley sprigs

Arrange the scallops on a hot platter. Spoon the cream
and mushrooms over them and surround, if you wish,
with the rice or risotto. Decorate with parsley, and
serve.

VARIATIONS

Escalopes de V eau a VEstragon

[Sauteed Veal Scallops with Brown Tarragon Sauce]

Rice, noodles, or sauteed potatoes go well with this, and green peas or
beans. Accompany with a red Bordeaux wine.

For 6 people

12 veal scallops Prepare and saute the veal as described in the preced-

ing master recipe. Place on a plate while completing
the following sauce.

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Zi cup dry white wine or

Cook the shallots or onions for a minute in the saute
skillet, then deglaze the skillet with the wine and
tarragon, reducing the liquid to 2 or 3 spoonfuls. Add

368

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Vj cup dry white ver- the brown sauce, or the stock and starch mixture, and
mouth boil for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce has reduced and

1 Tb fragrant tarragon, thickened lightly. Correct seasoning,
fresh or dried

1 cup brown sauce, page 66,
or 1 cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon plus
1 Tb arrowroot or corn-
starch blended with 1 Tb
water

Salt ar d pepper
A hot platter
2 Tb softened butter
1 Tb fresh minced tarragon
or minced parsley

Season the veal with salt and pepper. Return it to the
skillet, and baste with the sauce. Cover the skillet and
heat for 4 to 5 minutes without boiling. Arrange the
meat on a hot platter. Off heat, swirl the butter into
the sauce by small spoonfuls. Swirl in the herbs. Spoon
the sauce over the veal and serve.

Escalopes de Veau Chasseur

[Sauteed Veal Scallops with Mushrooms and Tomatoes]

Serve rice, noodles, or sauteed potatoes with this, green peas or beans, or
sauteed eggplant, and a Beaujolais or chilled rose wine.

For 6 people

12 veal scallops Prepare and saute the veal as described in the preced-

ing master recipe. Place the meat on a plate while
completing the following sauce.

14 cup minced shallots or
green onions

Za lb. firm, ripe, red toma-
toes, peeled, seeded, juiced,
and chopped, page 505
(makes 1 cup of pulp)

Z2 clove mashed garlic
Za tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Zi tsp basil or tarragon
Zi cup white wine or Zi cup
dry white vermouth
Z% cup brown sauce, page
66, or Vi cup brown stock

Cook the shallots or onions for 1 minute in the skillet.
Sur in the tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, and herbs.
Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in
the wine, and the brown sauce or the stock and starch.
Boil rapidly for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce has re-
duced and thickened. Correct seasoning and remove
from heat.

VEAL SCALLOPS

369

or canned beef bouillon
plus 1 Tb arrowroot or
cornstarch blended with 1
Tb water

!4 lb. sliced fresh mush-
rooms
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

Salt and pepper

In a separate skillet, saute the mushrooms in very hot
butter and oil to brown lightly. Season to taste and
scrape them into the tomato sauce. Simmer for 1
minute and correct seasoning again.

A hot platter

2 Tb fresh minced tarragon,
basil, or parsley

Sprinkle the veal scallops with salt and pepper and
return them to the skillet. Baste with the sauce. Cover
and heat for 4 to 5 minutes without boiling. Serve on
a hot platter and decorate with the herbs.

VEAL CHOPS OR CUTLETS

Cotes de Veau

The best treatment for veal chops, in our opinion, is the simple one of
browning them, then cooking them slowly in a covered skillet or casserole for
15 to 20 minutes until their juices have turned from rose to yellow. They are
pardcularly good if aromadc herbs and vegetables are braised with them as
veal usually needs other flavors to make it more interesting.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Buy loin, rib, or shoulder chops 1 to 1/4 inches thick. Have the corner
of the backbone at the top of the chop cut off so the meat will lie as flat as
possible on either side.

* COTES de veau aux herbes

[Veal Chops Braised with Herbs]

This is an excellent basic recipe for all veal chops, whether they are
served with a plain deglazing sauce made from the pan juices, or with any
of the suggestions listed at the end of the recipe. Sauteed potatoes, broiled to-
matoes, string beans, and a chilled rose wine would go well with chops pre-
pared in the following manner.

37 °

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Cooking Note: For 2 or 3 chops, the final cooking may be done on top
of the stove in a covered skillet. For 6 chops, it is easier to finish cooking them
in the oven.

For 6 people

6 large veal chops cut 1 inch
thick

A 10- to 12-inch skillet

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil,
more if needed

Salt and pepper

A heavy, 10- to 12-inch fire-
proof casserole with cover

3 Tb butter, if needed

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Optional: 1 clove mashed
garlic

V2 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth

1 tsp mixed basil and thyme,
or tarragon

A hot platter

Vi cup stock, canned bouil-
lon, or cream
Salt and pepper
1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Dry the chops on paper towels. Heat the butter and
oil in the skillet until you see that the butter foam has
almost subsided, then brown the chops, two or three
at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. As they are
done, season with salt and pepper and arrange in the
casserole, overlapping them slightly.

Pour all but 3 tablespoons of fat out of the skillet. If
fat has burned, pour it all out and add butter. Stir in
the shallots or onions and optional garlic, and cook
slowly for 1 minute. Then pour in the wine, add the
herbs, and simmer for a few minutes, scraping up the
coagulated sauteing juices. Scrape the mixture into
the casserole over the chops.

Heat the casserole on top of the stove until the liquid
is simmering. Cover and set in lower third of pre-
heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the chops and
baste them with the liquid in the casserole 2 or 3
times during this period. The chops are done as soon
as their juices run yellow when the meat is pierced
with a fork.

Remove the chops to a hot platter. Add the stock,
bouillon, or cream to the casserole and boil rapidly
for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced and
thickened slightly. Correct seasoning. Off heat, swirl
in the butter by bits. Pour the sauce over the chops
and serve. (*)

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

Veal chops may be browned well in advance of their final cooking. Once
cooked, dtey may be kept in the hot, turned-off oven, casserole cover askew,

VEAL CHOPS

371

for about 20 minutes. But do not allow them to overcook or overheat for they
will dry out.

VARIATIONS: SAUCES

In addition to the following sauces, you may use the mushrooms and
cream, mushrooms and tomato, or brown tarragon sauces described in the
recipes for veal scallops, pages 366 to 368.

Sauce T ornate or Coulis
de Tomates, tomato
sauce, pages 76 to 78

Sauce Madere, brown sauce
with Madeira wine, page
75

Sauce Robert, brown sauce
with mustard and onions,
page 72

Sauce Duxelles, brown
sauce with diced mush-
rooms and herbs, page 74

Before cooking the chops, prepare 2 cups of one of
the sauces listed at the left. When the chops are done,
pour the sauce into the casserole, basting the chops.
If not to be served immediately, set aside. Shortly be-
fore serving, cover the casserole and reheat for 4 to 5
minutes without simmering. Arrange the chops on a
platter. Off heat, swish 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter
into the casserole, then pour the sauce over the chops.

OTHER VARIATIONS

The recipe for sauteed chicken aux herbes de Provence, page 257, has an
herb and garlic type of hollandaise sauce which can be adapted for veal chops.
Another idea is to place around the browned chops partially cooked small
potatoes and small onions, and lardons of bacon (sticks of blanched bacon 1
inch long and / inch thick, lightly browned); these will finish cooking with
the chops, as in the poulet en cocotte on page 252. Or, following the same sys-
tem, you can put into die casserole butter-braised carrots and artichoke hearts,
and sauteed mushrooms.

VEAL STEAKS

Veal steaks 1 to 1 / inches thick cut from the round roast or die sirloin
may be cooked exactly the same way as veal chops.

372

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

GROUND VEAL PATTIES

Fricadelles de V can

Here is a fine recipe for ground veal patties. Arranged on a bed of braised
spinach, surrounded with baked or stuffed tomatoes, and served with a chilled
rose wine, they make a most attractive informal main course. Other vegetables
are suggested in the list under roast veal on page 352. Neck, shoulder, shank,
or breast meat may be used for grinding; be sure die meat has first been pared
of gristle, tendons, filaments and other miscellaneous matter. Always include
a proportion of ham fat, pork fat, or sausage meat; otherwise the patties will
be too dry.

* FRICADELLES DE VEAU A LA NI^OISE

[Veal Patties with Tomatoes, Onions, and Herbs]

Onions, garlic, and tomatoes are particularly good mixed with ground
veal. If you happened to have the remains of a ratatouille (eggplant and to-
mato casserole, page 503), half a cup of it could replace the tomatoes and
onions in the following recipe.

For 6 people

Vz cup finely minced onions Cook the onions slowly with the butter in a small
2 Tb butter skillet for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are tender but

not browned.

2 medium tomatoes, peeled,
seeded, juiced, and
chopped, page 505
1 clove mashed garlic
14 tsp salt

Vz tsp basil or thyme
A 3-quart mixing bowl

Add the tomatoes, and other ingredients. Cover and
cook slowly for 5 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and
boil rapidly until the tomato juices have almost en-
tirely evaporated. Scrape into the mixing bowl.

1 cup stale white bread
crumbs and Vz cup milk
OR, grind Vz cup of cooked
rice with the veal

While the tomatoes are cooking, soak the bread
crumbs in the milk for 5 minutes. Pour into a strainer
and press out as much of the milk as you can. Add
bread crumbs to mixing bowl.

1 lb. or 2 cups lean raw veal,
ground with 2 ounces (V2

Add the meat, seasonings, parsley, and egg to the
mixing bowl and beat vigorously with wooden spoon

VEAL PATTIES

373

cup) of boiled ham and 2
ounces (!4 cup) of ham
fat or fresh pork fat
1 tsp salt
54 tsp pepper
3 Tb minced parsley
1 egg

A wooden spoon

*/2 cup sifted flour spread on
a dish

1 to 2 skillets each contain-
ing 2 Tb butter and 1 Tb
oil

A hot platter

% cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
1 to 2 Tb softened butter

to blend thoroughly. Taste carefully for seasoning,
adding more if you feel it necessary. Form the mix-
ture into 6 or 12 balls. Flatten them into patties / 2
inch thick with the palm of your hand. If not to be
cooked immediately, cover with waxed paper and re-
frigerate.

Just before sauteing, dredge the patties in the flour
and shake off excess flour.

Set the skillet or skillets over moderately high heat.
When you see that the butter foam has almost sub-
sided, brown the patties for 2 to 3 minutes on each
side. Pour out excess fat, cover and cook very slowly
for 15 minutes, turning the patties once.

Arrange the meat on a hot platter with whatever
vegetables you have chosen, and keep warm for a
moment while finishing the sauce.

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the stock or bouil-
lon and boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated cooking
juices and reducing liquid to 3 or 4 spoonfuls. Off
heat, swirl in the butter by small spoonfuls. Pour the
sauce over the patties, and serve.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

After the patties have been browned, arrange them in a casserole. De-
glaze the skillet with stock and set aside. About 20 to 30 minutes before serv-
ing, heat the casserole until the meat is sizzling, cover and finish cooking in a
325-degree oven. Reheat and butter the sauce just before pouring it over the
patties.

VARIATION

Fricadelles de Veau d la Creme

[Veal Patties with Cream and Herb Sauce]

*/2 Tb tarragon or basil Cook the patties and remove them to a hot platter as

/ 2 cup dry white wine, dry directed in the master recipe. Add the tarragon or

white vermouth, or stock basil and wine or stock to the degreased skillet. Boil

374

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Vz to % cup whipping cream
2 Tb softened butter
Vz Tb fresh minced tarra-
gon, basil, or parsley

down liquid to 3 tablespoons, scraping up coagulated
cooking juices. Then pour in the cream and boil it
down rapidly to reduce and thicken it lightly. Off
heat, swirl in the butter by bits, then swirl in the
herbs. Pour over the patties.

VARIATIONS: SAUCES

Coulis de Tomates a la
Provengale, fresh tomato
sauce with herbs, page 78

Sauce Prune aux Fines
Herbes or d I’Estragon,
brown sauce with mixed
green herbs or tarragon,
P a ge 73

Sauce Madere, brown sauce
with Madeira wine, page
75

Sauce Robert, brown sauce
with mustard and onions,
page 72

Sauce Duxelles, brown
sauce with diced mush-
rooms and herbs, page 74

After cooking the patties, deglaze the skillet with half
a cup of white wine or white vermouth, then add
i'/2 to 2 cups of any of the sauces listed at the left.
Simmer for a minute or two. Off heat, swirl in 1 to
2 tablespoons of softened butter and pour the sauce
over the meat.

VARIATIONS

Use the same mixture of ground veal, onions, and tomatoes as described
in the master recipe on page 372.

Fricadelles de V eau Duxelles

[Veal Patties with Mushrooms]

Zt lb. finely minced fresh Squeeze the mushrooms, a handful at a time, in the
mushrooms corner of a towel to extract their juice. When the

minced onions in the master recipe are tender, add
the mushrooms. Raise heat and saute for 4 to 5 min-
utes. Then add the tomatoes and proceed with the
recipe.

VEAL PATTIES

375

Fricadelles de Veau Mentonnaise
[Veal Patties with Tuna and Anchovies]

This Italian and Mediterranean combination is especially good accom-
panied by braised spinach and grilled or baked tomatoes, or fried or sauteed
potatoes and a salad of fresh tomatoes.

54 cup drained and mashed Prepare the ground veal mixture as described in the
canned tuna fish master recipe and beat into it the tuna and anchovies.

6 canned anchovy filets Then proceed with the recipe,
drained and mashed, or i
Tb anchovy paste

Patties Using Cooked Ground Veal

Follow any of the preceding combinations, substituting cooked veal for
raw veal. To prevent die meat from being too dry, add to the mixture / 2 cup
of sausage meat or an additional % cup of ground ham fat or pork fat.

Pain de Veau

[Veal Loaf]

Use any of the preceding ground veal combinations and pack the meat
in a loaf pan or a souffle mold. Over the top of the meat lay 2 or 3 strips of
blanched bacon, page 15. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 to i l / 2 hours.

The loaf is done when the meat has shrunk slightly from the sides of
the mold and the surrounding juices are clear yellow with no trace of rosy
color, or at a meat-thermometer reading of 175 to 180 degrees. Unmold the
loaf and serve it with a tomato sauce, page 76. If the loaf is to be served cold,
place a weight on top of it after cooking to compress the meat as it cools.

PORK

Pore

MARINADES

Fresh pork, whether it is a large piece for roasting, or a thin piece for
sauteing, will be tenderer and have a more interesting flavor if it receives a

376

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

marination before cooking. This is not an essential step, but you will find it
most effective, and cold leftovers will be even better than usual. You may use
a simple dry mixture of salt, herbs, and spices, or a liquid marinade of either
lemon juice or wine and vinegar with herbs and aromatic vegetables.

Always marinate the meat in a noncorroding container: porcelain, pyrex,
enamelware, or stainless steel.

TIME REQUIRED

(If the meat is refrigerated, increase the minimum marination time by
at least one third.)

Chops and steaks — a minimum of 2 hours; 6 to 12 are even better.

Loin roasts — a minimum of 6 hours, but 24 are recommended.

Fresh hams and picnic shoulders — a minimum of 2 days, but 4 to 5 are
more effective.

/MARINADE SECHE

[Salt Marinade with Herbs and Spices]

Fine for all types of fresh pork. This is our favorite, as it tenderizes die
pork and accentuates its natural flavor.

Per pound of pork

1 tsp salt

Vs tsp freshly ground pepper
l A tsp ground thyme or sage
Vs tsp ground bay leaf
Pinch of allspice
Optional: Vi clove mashed
garlic

Mix all the ingredients together and rub them into
the surface of the pork. Place in a covered bowl. Turn
the meat 2 or 3 times if the marinade is a short one;
several times a day if it is of long duration.

Before cooking, scrape off the marinade, and dry the
meat thoroughly with paper towels.

MARINADE SIMPLE

[Lemon Juice and Herb Marinade]

For chops, steaks, and small, boned roasts. This is also an effeedve mari-
nade giving the pork a slightly different flavor than the dry one.

Per pound of pork

PORK MARINADES

377

i tsp salt
Zs tsp pepper
3 Tb lemon juice
3 Tb olive oil
3 parsley sprigs
V* tsp thyme or sage
i bay leaf

i clove mashed garlic

Rub salt and pepper into the meat. Mix the other in-
gredients in a bowl, add the pork and baste it. Place
a lid over the bowl. Turn and baste the meat 3 or 4
times during its marination period.

Before cooking, scrape off the marinade, and dry the
meat thoroughly with paper towels.

MARINADE AU VIN

[Wine Marinade]

May be used for chops, steaks, and small roasts, but is usually reserved
for fresh hams and picnic shoulders. This is a special 2- to 4-day marinade
which gives pork a taste akin to that of wild boar, marcassin.

[note: If the pork is to be marinated for more than 3 days, cook the carrots,
onions, and garlic very slowly in the olive oil before proceeding with the
recipe.]

Per each 3 pounds of pork

Rub salt into the pork. Mix the other ingredients in a
bowl, add the meat and baste it. Place a lid over the
bowl. Turn and baste the meat 3 or 4 times a day.
Before cooking, scrape off the marinade and drain
the meat for half an hour or so. Then dry it thor-
oughly with paper towels.

5 jumper

1 Tb salt

1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth

Z2 cup wine vinegar
4 Tb olive oil
3 halved cloves garlic
Zi cup thinly sliced carrots
V2 cup thinly sliced onions
Zi tsp peppercorns

2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme

Optional: Zt tsp each of
basil, tarragon, sage, and
mint; 5 coriander seeds;

37-3

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

ROAST PORK

Roti de Pore

Pork may be roasted slowly in an open pan in a 325-degree oven, and
basted occasionally with a spoonful or two of wine, stock, or water to aid in
the dissolution of its fat. But we think pork is more tender and juicy if it is
browned in hot fat, then roasted like veal in a covered casserole. This slow,
steamy cooking tenderizes the meat and renders out the fat very effectively.

PREPARATION OF ROASTS FOR COOKING

The flavors of a marinade will penetrate pork more thoroughly if the
meat is boned; it is rolled and tied after marination. All but a * 4 -inch layer of
outside fat should be cut off, as well as any loose interior fat or heavy layers of
fat. If you are using a fresh ham or shoulder, remove the rind; it may be frozen
and used whenever you are cooking braised meat to give body to the sauce.

CUTS FOR ROASTING OR BRAISING

One pound of boneless pork will serve 2 or 3 people. For bonc-in roasts,
particularly the loin, allow % pound per person.

Loin of Pork — Longe. The loin is divided into the following cuts:

Center Cut — Milieu de Filet. This is lean meat, and corresponds to the
porterhouse and T-bone steak section of beef with both loin and tender-
loin. If it is not boned and rolled, have the backbone part removed for
easier carving.

Rib Cut — Carre. This is lean meat, and corresponds to the rib section
of beef with loin but no tenderloin. If it is not boned and rolled, have
the backbone section removed.

Loin End — Pointe de Filet. This corresponds to the rump of beef and
should be boned. It makes a juicy roast with a combination of fat and
lean.

Shoulder or Blade End — Echine. This combination of fat and lean is a
favorite roasting cut in France; it is the shoulder-chop end of the loin
and should be boned.

Shoulder Butt or Boston Butt— Palette. The shoulder butt is a combina-
tion of fat and lean and should be boned.

ROAST PORK

379

Picnic Shoulder or Shoulder Arm — No French equivalent: part of it is
palette; part is jambonneau. This is lean meat, and should be boned.

Fresh Ham — Jambon Frais. Fresh ham is lean meat. It may be bought
whole, or in part, and may be boned or not, as you wish.

TEMPERATURE AND TIMING FOR ROAST PORK
Pork, in our opinion, develops its best flavor and texture when it is cooked
to an interior temperature of 180 to 185 degrees on a meat thermometer. At
this point all its juices have turned clear yellow with no trace of rosy color,
and the meat is somewhat gray with only a suggestion of pink overtone. It
was authoritatively established as far back as the year 1919 that trichinae are
killed at a meat temperature of 131 degrees (137 degrees for official purposes)
or when the pork is still rare. In view of this fact there is no reason whatsoever
for overcooking pork until it is dry and lifeless.

From 30 to 45 minutes per pound are required to roast a 3- to 8-pound
piece of unchilled fresh pork to an internal temperature of 180 to 185 degrees.
A long, thin, pork loin takes less time to roast than a thick fresh ham or
shoulder of the same weight. Boned roasts usually require 5 to 10 minutes per
pound more than bone-in roasts. As it takes a good hour for a large roast to
cool off when it is out of the oven, you can afford to allow yourself plenty of
time. Here are some examples for covered roasting in a 325-degree oven:

A 3-pound loin

Bone In — 1 / 2 to 1% hours

Boned and Rolled — 1% to 2 hours

A 3-pound loin

Bone In — 2/ to 3 hours

Boned and Rolled — 3 to 3/ hours

A 3-pound fresh ham or picnic

Bone In — About 3/2 hours

Boned and Rolled — About 4 hours

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Potatoes

Roast potatoes, which may cook with the pork

Sauteed potatoes, which may be done in pork fat rather than butter,
page 526

Boiled potatoes, plain, mashed potatoes, or the garlic mashed potatoes on
page 520

380

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Scalloped potatoes with stock and cheese, page 524, or with tomatoes and
onions, page 525

Other vegetables

Braised white cabbage, page 383, red cabbage, page 384, or sauerkraut,
page 385, which may cook with the pork

Brussels sprouts braised in butter, or with cheese, page 451 or 453
Braised leeks, page 495, or braised celery root, page 492
Stuffed tomatoes, page 507; ratatouille (eggplant and tomato casserole),
page 503

Glazed onions, page 481, or turnips, page 488, which may cook with the

pork

See also the fruit suggestions (apples, peaches, and cherries) in the Duck
section, pages 275 to 279; and the prunes in the Goose section, page 283

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve a dry white wine, Riesling, Traminer, white Cotes du Rhone, or a

rose.

* ROTI DE PORC POELE

[Casserole-roasted Pork]

As most French recipes call for a boneless roast, we shall so specify in
this recipe and its variations. The loin is the most expensive cut and also die
most attractive looking. But any other cut among those listed on page 378 may
be substituted, and may be boned or not.

For 6 people

A 3-lb. boneless roast of
pork, previously mari-
nated, if you wish, ac-
cording to one of the sug-
gestions on page 376
4 Tb rendered pork fat, lard,
or cooking oil

A heavy fireproof casserole
just large enough to hold
the meat

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dry the meat thoroughly
on paper towels. Place the fat in the casserole and set
over moderately high heat. When fat is almost smok-
ing, brown the pork on all sides. This will take about
10 minutes. Remove pork to a side dish.

ROAST PORK

3 8x

2 Tb butter, if needed
i sliced yellow onion
i sliced carrot

Optional: 2 cloves unpeeled
garlic

A medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, 54 bay leaf,
and !4 tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

Pour all but 2 spoonfuls of fat out of the casserole. If
fat has burned, throw it all out and add more butter.
Stir in the vegetables, optional garlic, and herb bou-
quet. Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes.

A bulb baster Place the meat in the casserole, its fattiest side up. (If

pork was not marinated, season it with salt and pep-
per, and half a teaspoon of sage or thyme.) Cover the
casserole and heat it until the meat is sizzling, then
place in lower third of preheated oven for about 2
hours or to a meat-thermometer reading of 180 to 185
degrees. Baste the roast 2 or 3 times during this period
with the juices in the casserole, and regulate oven
heat so the pork is cooking slowly and evenly. The
pork and vegetables will render about 1 cup of juices
as they roast.

A hot platter

When it is done, place the pork on a hot serving plat-
ter and discard trussing strings.

54 cup dry white wine, stock,
canned bouillon, or water
A hot gravy boat

Pour the liquid into the casserole and simmer
slowly for 2 to 3 minutes. Then tilt the casserole and
skim out all but a tablespoon or two of fat. Mash the
vegetables into the juices; boil rapidly until you
have about 1 cup. Strain into a hot gravy boat. Sur-
round the pork roast with whatever vegetable garnish
you have chosen, and serve.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE

If you are not serving immediately, return pork and sauce to casserole.
Cover loosely and set in turned-off hot oven with door ajar. The meat will stay
warm for a good half hour.

VARIATIONS: SAUCES

Any of the following sauces may be prepared while the pork is roasting,
then simmered for a moment to blend with the degreased juices in the cas-
serole.

382

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Sauce Diable, peppery brown sauce, page 71

Sauce Piquante, spicy brown sauce with pickles and capers, page 72
Sauce Robert, brown mustard sauce, page 72

Sauce Poivrade, peppery brown sauce with vinegar and wine for use es-
pecially if the pork has been marinated in wine, page 70
Sauce T ornate, a good tomato sauce, page 76

Sauce Moutarde d la Normande
[Mustard Sauce with Cream]

For about 2 cups

After the pork has been cooked and placed on a plat-
ter, keep it warm for 10 to 15 minutes while prepar-
ing the sauce.

Strain the meat juices into a bowl and degrease them.

Vi cup cider vinegar Pour the vinegar and peppercorns into the casserole

10 crushed peppercorns and boil until the vinegar has reduced to about a

tablespoon. Pour in the meat juices and boil them
down rapidly until they have reduced to about % cup.

1 Vi cups whipping cream
Salt

2 tsp diy mustard mixed
with 2 tsp water

Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring in
salt to taste. Beat in the mustard mixture and simmer
2 or 3 minutes more. Sauce should be thick enough
to coat a spoon lightly. Correct seasoning.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter Off heat and just before serving, swirl in the butter by
A warm gravy boat bits, then pour the sauce into a warm gravy boat.

VARIATIONS

Roti de Pore Grand’ Mere

[Casserole-roasted Pork with Potatoes and Onions]

Onions and potatoes absorb a distinctive flavor when they cook with
pork in this manner.

For 6 people

A 3-lb. boneless roast of Roast the pork in a covered casserole with seasonings

pork previously marinated as described in the master recipe, page 380, but omit

ROAST PORK

383

in salt for several hours, if the vegetables. After 1 hour, add potatoes and onions
you wish, page 376 which have been prepared as follows:

12 to 18 peeled white onions
1 to i'/2 inches in diameter

Pierce a cross in the root end of the onions, and boil
them for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain.

12 to 18 small new potatoes
or “boiling” potatoes,
peeled and cut into 1/2
inch ovals
A skillet

2 Tb rendered pork fat or
cooking oil
Salt and pepper

Drop the potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water.
Bring to the boil and boil / minute. Drain. Just be-
fore adding the potatoes to the casserole, roll them for
x to 2 minutes in hot fat in skillet to brown very
lightly. Season with salt and pepper.

After the pork has cooked for an hour, arrange the
potatoes and onions around it and baste them with
the juices in the casserole. Cover the casserole and re-
turn it to the oven until the meat is done, basting the
vegetables once or twice.

A hot platter Remove the pork to a hot platter and arrange the

1 to 2 Tb chopped parsley vegetables around it. Decorate with chopped parsley.

Degrease the meat juices and either pour them over
the vegetables, or into a hot gravy boat.

Roti de Pore aux Navets
[Casserole-roasted Pork with Turnips]

Turnips are wonderful when cooked in pork juices. Use the same general
system described for the onions and potatoes in the preceding recipe. Peel and
quarter the turnips; allow 4 to 6 pieces per person. Drop them in boiling water
and boil 2 minutes. Drain. Add them to the casserole for the last hour of cook-
ing.

Roti de Pore aux Choux
[Casserole-roasted Pork with Cabbage]

This is a great dish for lovers of cabbage. Serve it with boiled potatoes
and a dry Alsatian wine, or beer.

Tor 6 people

384

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

A 3-lb. boneless roast of pork
previously marinated for
several hours in salt, if you
wish, page 376

x lb. (about 6 cups) green or
white cabbage cut into 14 -
inch slices

A kettle containing 7 to 8
quarts of rapidly boiling
water with 1 54 tsp salt per
quart of water

54 tsp salt

54 tsp pepper

Optional: 54 tsp caraway
seeds

A hot platter
Salt and pepper
Parsley sprigs

Roast the pork in a covered casserole with carrots,
onions, and seasonings as described in the master
recipe, page 380. After an hour, add the cabbage
which has been prepared as follows:

Drop the cabbage into the boiling water. Bring rap-
idly to the boil and boil uncovered for 2 minutes. Im-
mediately drain in a colander, and run cold water
over the cabbage for a minute or two. Drain thor-
oughly and set aside.

After the pork has cooked for an hour, arrange the
cabbage around it. Fluff salt, pepper, and the optional
caraway seeds into the cabbage, and baste it with the
juices in the casserole. Cover the casserole, bring to the
simmer, and return it to the oven until the pork is
done. Baste the cabbage several times with the meat
juices during this period.

Then remove the pork to a hot platter. Lift the cab-
bage out of the casserole with a fork and spoon so it
will drain, and arrange it around the meat. Season it
with salt and pepper if necessary. Degrease the juices
in the casserole and pour them over the cabbage.
Decorate with sprigs of fresh parsley.

* PORC BRAISE AUX CHOUX ROUGES

[Pork Braised with Red Cabbage]

A good dish of red cabbage is even better when a roast of pork is cooked
with it. The casserole of cabbage cooks for 3 hours before the pork goes into
it, and needs 2 hours more in the oven until the pork is done.

For 6 people

Ingredients for the braised Braise the cabbage for 3 hours in a 325-degree oven,
red cabbage on page 496 following the directions in the recipe.

(omit the chestnuts if you
wish, but they are a good
accompaniment)

BRAISED PORK

385

A 3-lb. boneless roast of
pork, previously mari-
nated for several hours in
salt, if possible, page 376

Brown the pork in hot fat in a skillet. After the cab-
bage has cooked for 3 hours, place the pork in the
casserole with the cabbage. Cover the casserole and
return it to the oven to braise for two hours more or
until the pork is done.

A hot platter
Salt and pepper

Then place the pork on a platter, drain the cabbage
and arrange it around the pork. Correct seasoning.
Degrease and season the cooking juices, and pour
them over the cabbage.

VARIATION

Pore Braise avec Choucroute

[Pork Braised with Sauerkraut]

Use exactly die same method as for red cabbage but substitute sauerkraut,
page 498. After the sauerkraut has braised for 3 hours, brown the pork, add it
to the casserole, and cook for another 2 hours or undl the pork is done.

PORC SYLVIE

[Pork Stuffed with Cheese]

A loin of pork is cut lengthwise from the top almost to the bottom to
make 3 or 4 long leaves or slices so the roast may be opened up like a book. It
is marinated for several hours, then stuffed with slices of Swiss cheese and
cooked in a covered casserole. Follow the recipe for veau Sylvie, page 357, but
use one of die pork marinades on page 376, and omit the slices of ham.

PORK CHOPS AND STEAKS

Cotes de Pore

Pork chops and steaks are best, we think, when they are cut diick,
browned on each side, then cooked in a covered casserole or skillet like the
preceding casserole roasts of pork.

Have the chops or steak cut between % to 1% inches thick, and ask that
the backbone corners of chops be leveled or removed so the meat will lie per-

386

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

fectly flat on either side. All but a thin layer of fat should be trimmed off. The
best chops are from the center loin or the rib loin. Second choices are the loin
end or rump, shoulder loin chops, and blade and round-bone chops from the
shoulder. Steaks are usually cut from the picnic shoulder or shoulder arm, or
from the fresh ham.

Usually i thick chop per person is sufficient. For steaks, count on i pound
for 2 or 3 people. As steaks or chops are interchangeable in these recipes, we
will call everything chops.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
These are the same as the suggestions for roast pork on pages 379-80.

* COTES DE PORC POELEES

[Casserole-sauteed Pork Chops]

Three or four chops or one or two steaks may be cooked in a covered
skillet on top of the stove. For a larger quantity oven-cooking in a covered cas-
serole is easier.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

6 pork chops cut 1 inch thick
and previously marinated
for several hours, if you
wish, in salt, lemon juice,
or wine, page 376-7
3 to 4 Tb rendered pork fat,
lard, or cooking oil
A heavy, 10- to 12-inch fire-
proof casserole

Dry the pork chops on paper towels. Heat the fat or
oil in the casserole until it is almost smoking, then
brown the chops, 2 or 3 at a time, on each side for 3 to
4 minutes. As they are browned, transfer them to a
side dish.

If the chops have not been marinated, season them
with salt, pepper, and *4 teaspoon of thyme or sage.

2 Tb butter

Optional: 2 halved cloves
garlic

Pour the fat out of the casserole and add the butter
and optional garlic. Return the chops, overlapping
them slightly. Baste them with the butter. Cover and
heat the casserole until the meat is sizzling, then set
in lower third of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

PORK CHOPS

387

Turn and baste the chops once or twice. They are
done when the meat juices run a clear yellow with no
trace of rose. Make a deep cut next to the bone if you
have any doubts.

A hot platter

Z2 cup dry white wine, dry
white vermouth, brown
stock, canned beef bouil-
lon, or marinade liquid

Arrange the chops on a hot platter with whatever
vegetable garnish you have chosen. The chops will
have rendered about / 2 CU P of juices during their
cooking; remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from
them. Pour in the / 2 cup of liquid and boil rapidly,
scraping up all coagulated cooking juices, until you
have about / 2 cup of concentrated sauce. Taste for
seasoning, and pour it over the chops.

(*) AHEAD-OF-TIME-NOTE

If the chops are not to be served immediately, return them to the casse-
role, baste them with die sauce, cover loosely, and keep warm in turned-off
oven for 20 minutes or so.

VARIATIONS: SAUCES

Any of the sauces suggested for roast pork on page 382 may also be used
for pork chops. Here is another suggestion :

Cotes de Pore Sauce Nenette

[Pork Chops with Mustard, Cream, and Tomato Sauce]

While the pork chops are cooking according to direc-
tions in the master recipe, prepare the following:

i l / 2 cups whipping cream
Va tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Simmer the cream, salt, and pepper in a small sauce-
pan for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it has reduced to 1
cup.

1 Tb dry English mustard Beat the mustard and tomato paste together in a small

2 Tb tomato paste bowl, then beat in the hot cream. Set aside.

2 Tb fresh chopped basil, After removing the chops from the casserole and de-
chervil, or parsley greasing the meat juices, pour in the cream mixture

and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Correct seasoning,
stir in the herbs, and pour the sauce over the chops.

388

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

VARIATIONS

Cotes de Pore Robert

Cotes de Pore Charcutiere

[Pork Chops Braised in Fresh Tomato Sauce]

Include sauteed potatoes and a chilled rose wine on the menu with this
good dish of pork chops. If you stir chopped pickles and capers into the sauce
just before serving the chops, they become cotes de pore charcutiere.

For 6 people

6 pork chops cut i inch thick
and previously marinated
for several hours, if you
wish, according to one of
the formulas on page 376
A heavy, 10- to 12-inch fire-
proof casserole

2 Tb butter

1 cup minced yellow onions
1 Tb flour

1 lb. ripe tomatoes peeled,
seeded, and chopped (jVz
cups), page 505
Vz tsp salt
% tsp pepper
!4 tsp sage or thyme
1 large clove mashed garlic

1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry vermouth (in-
clude marinade liquid, if
any)

Vz cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
1 to 2 Tb tomato paste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brown the chops in hot
fat in the casserole as described in the master recipe,
page 386, and set them aside.

Pour out die browning fat, add the butter and onions,
cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Mix in the
flour and stir over low heat for 2 minutes more. Stir
in the tomatoes and other flavorings. Cover and cook
slowly for 5 minutes.

Stir in the wine and stock or bouillon and simmer for
10 minutes. Correct seasoning and stir in enough
tomato paste to deepen the flavor and color of the
sauce.

If the chops have not been marinated, season them
with salt and pepper. Arrange them, slightly overlap-
ping, in the casserole and baste them with the tomato
sauce.

(*) May be done in advance to this point.

PORK CHOPS

389

Cover the casserole and bring to the simmer on top
of the stove, then set it in the lower third of the pre-
heated oven. Regulate oven temperature so casserole
simmers slowly and regularly for 25 to 30 minutes or
until the chops are done.

A hot platter

1 to 2 Tb fresh chopped
basil or parsley

Arrange the chops on a serving platter. Degrease the
sauce and if necessary boil it down rapidly until it is
lightly thickened. Correct seasoning and pour it over
the chops. Sprinkle with herbs and serve.

VARIATIONS: VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Browned pork chops may also finish their cooking for half an hour or so
in a casserole of braised red cabbage, page 496, or braised sauerkraut, page 498.
Or you can add blanched onions, carrots, new potatoes, or turnips to the cas-
serole with the browned chops so the meat and vegetables finish their cooking
in the oven together.

PORK STEWS

Ragouts de Pore

The following recipes for beef stew are also very good with pork rather
than beef. Use boneless pork cuts which contain a mixture of fat and lean, such
as shoulder loin chops, loin-end chops, or shoulder (Boston) butt. Cooking
time is 2 to i/ z hours rather than the 3% hours required for beef.

Boeuf a la Catalane, stew with rice, onions, and tomatoes, page 321
Daube de Boeuf, casserole with wine and vegetables, page 322
Daube de Boeuf a la Provengale, casserole with wine, vegetables, ancho-
vies, and garlic, page 324

HAM

Jambon

Ham is a fine dish for large parties, but a parade of plain boiled or baked
hams can become woefully monotonous especially around Christmas and

390

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Easter. Here are a handful of French recipes which will lift any ham into la
grande classe.

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS
Classic accompaniment

Spinach braised with cream or with stock, page 470-1
Other vegetables

Braised celery, page 491, celeriac, page 492, or lettuce, page 489
Braised chestnuts, page 519, pureed chestnuts, page 518
Braised onions, page 481, or leeks, page 495
Mashed potatoes

Fruits

The French do not go in much for fruits and ham, but if you like them,
see the prunes in wine in the Goose section, page 283, and the fruits suggested
for duck on pages 278 to 279.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

The best choice is a not-too-heavy red wine such as Bordeaux-Medoc, or a
Beaujolais, Macon, or Chinon.

TYPE OF HAM TO BUY

All of the recipes in this section call for cooked, mild-cured ham. In die
recipes for whole braised ham, we have specified 8 to 10 pounds; a pound or
two more will make little difference except in the braising time. You may buy
whole ham, which always looks more festive, or half a ham, or a picnic or
boned shoulder butt. We have allowed about 1 pound of bone-in ham for 2
people. If the ham has been boned, 1 pound should serve 3 and possibly 4 peo-
ple. When you buy ham, have the skin or rind removed, and cut off all but a
14 -inch layer of covering fat. Hams labeled “fully cooked” usually require re-
heating to an internal temperature of between 130 and 140 degrees. But you
should test the meat anyway, to see if a fork will pierce it fairly easily; if not,
continue cooking until die ham is tender.

HAM

391

* JAMBON BRAISE MORVANDELLE

[Ham Braised in Wine — Cream and Mushroom Sauce]

Ham heated in a covered roaster with aromatic vegetables, herbs, stock,
and wine absorbs these different flavors, and the braising liquid is easily trans-
formed into a good sauce.

For 16 to 20 people

!4 lb. (about 1 cup) sliced Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Saute the vegetables in

carrots butter and oil or ham fat for about 10 minutes in the

Y 4 lb. (about 1 cup) sliced roaster or casserole until they are tender and very

onions lightly browned.

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil, or
3 Tb rendered ham fat

A heavy covered roaster or
fireproof casserole just
large enough to hold the
ham

An 8- to 10-lb. cooked ham Place the ham over the vegetables, its fattiest side up,

or picnic shoulder, and add the rest of the ingredients at the left. Bring

skinned, and trimmed of to the simmer on top of the stove, cover, and place

excess fat the roaster or casserole in the middle level of the

6 parsley sprigs preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid barely sim-

1 bay leaf mers for about 2 hours. Baste every 20 minutes. The

6 peppercorns ham is done when a trussing needle or sharp-pronged

V2 tsp thyme fork will pierce the thickest part of it fairly easily.

3 whole cloves

4 cups white Burgundy wine
(Chablis or Pouilly-
Fuisse) or 3 cups dry
white vermouth

4 to 6 cups white or brown
stock or canned beef
bouillon

Optional glazing

Powdered sugar in a shaker When the ham is done, drain it. If you wish to glaze
A shallow roasting pan con- it, dust the top and sides with powdered sugar, and
taining a rack place it on the rack in the roasting pan. Heat oven to

392

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

450 degrees. Place the ham in the upper third of the
oven and let it brown lightly for 10 to 15 minutes.
Basting is not necessary.

Let the ham sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 min-
utes before carving. If it is to wait longer, put it in the
turned-off hot oven with door ajar where it can stay
for an hour. The braising liquid is turned into a sauce
as follows:

Cream and Mushroom Sauce

Version I

2 lbs. sliced fresh mush-
rooms

3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
A large enameled skillet
Salt and pepper

Dry the mushrooms in a towel. Saute them for 5 to
6 minutes in hot butter and oil until they are very
lightly browned. Stir in the shallots or onions and
saute for a minute more. Season to taste and set aside.

The ham braising liquid
!4 cup Marc de Bourgogne,
Madeira, or port
A 2 '/2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

4 Tb flour mixed to a paste
with 4 Tb softened butter
2 to 3 cups whipping cream

Version II, with egg

Degrease the braising liquid in the roaster. Set roaster
over high heat and boil rapidly until liquid has re-
duced to about 3 cups and is full of flavor. Add the
marc or wine and simmer for a minute or two to
evaporate the alcohol. Strain into a saucepan and beat
in the flour and butter paste. Beat in 2 cups of cream,
then stir in the sauteed mushrooms. Simmer for 5
minutes. The sauce should be just thick enough to
coat a spoon very lightly. Stir in more cream if sauce
seems too thick. Taste carefully for seasoning.

(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside un-
covered, top of sauce filmed with a spoonful of cream
to keep a skin from forming. Reheat when ready to
serve.
yol\s

2 lbs. fresh sliced mush-
rooms

3 Tb butter

Following Version I of the sauce, saute the mush-
rooms in butter and oil, adding the shallots or onions
at the end. Degrease the ham braising liquid, reduce

HAM

393

i Tb oil it to about 3 cups, add the marc or wine and simmer

3 Tb minced shallots or for a moment. Strain into the saucepan, add the sau-
green onions teed mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes.

The ham braising liquid
14 cup Marc de Bourgogne,

Madeira, or port
A 2'/2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

5 e gg y° lks

1 tsp cornstarch (anticur-
dling insurance)

A 2-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip

2 cups whipping cream

Blend the egg yolks and cornstarch in the mixing
bowl with wire whip. Beat in the cream. Then gradu-
ally beat in about i x / 2 cups of the ham braising liquid
from the saucepan. Pour the mixture back into the
saucepan with the rest of the braising liquid and
mushrooms.

(*) May be done in advance to this point.

A wooden spoon

Z2 to 1 cup whipping cream

A warmed sauce bowl

Shortly before serving, set saucepan over moderate
heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce
thickens lightly, but do not let it come near the sim-
mer (maximum temperature, 165 degrees) or the egg
yolks will curdle. Stir in more cream by spoonfuls if
the sauce seems too thick. It should coat a spoon
lightly. Taste carefully for seasoning, pour into a
warmed sauce bowl, and serve.

VARIATION

Jambon Braise an Madere

[Ham Braised in Madeira Wine]

The combined flavors of Madeira and ham have always been a favorite in
France. Spinach braised in stock, broiled or stuffed mushrooms, and a red Bor-
deaux-Medoc wine are good accompaniments for diis dish.

For 16 to 20 people

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced carrots

2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

A covered roaster
An 8- to 10-lb. cooked ham
or picnic shoulder,

Following the general directions in the preceding
master recipe, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook the
vegetables in butter and oil in the roaster until lightly
browned. Place the ham in the roaster, pour in the
wine, the stock or bouillon, and add the herbs. Bring
to the simmer on top of the stove, cover, and bake
very slowly for 2 to 2/2 hours, basting every 20 min-

394

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

skinned and trimmed of utes. When the ham is tender, glaze it with powdered
excess fat sugar as described in the master recipe.

2 cups Madeira

3 cups stock or canned beef
bouillon

6 parsley sprigs
i bay leaf
14 tsp thyme

Powdered sugar in a shaker

Degrease the braising liquid and boil it down rapidly
to 3 cups. Strain it into a saucepan.

3 Tb arrowroot (preferable
to cornstarch as it does not
cloud the sauce)

2 Tb cold stock, wine, or
truffle juice

2 or 3 chopped, canned
truffles and their juice
OR, 14 cup mushroom
duxelles (finely diced,
sauteed mushrooms), page

5*5

Blend the arrowroot with the cold liquid and beat it
into the hot braising liquid. Stir in the truffles or
mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes. Correct season-
ing. Sauce will have a very light thickening; the but-
ter enrichment will give it more body and character.

3 Tb softened butter Reheat when ready to serve. Off heat, beat in the but-

A warmed sauceboat ter by bits, and pour the sauce into a warmed sauce-

boat.

* J AMBON FARCI ET BRAISE

[Braised Ham with Mushroom Stuffing]

A fine dish for an important dinner is ham sliced into serving pieces, re-
constructed with a stuffing between each slice, then braised in Madeira.

For 12 to 14 people

2 lbs. fresh mushrooms

3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

!4 cup minced shallots or
green onions

Trim, wash, and mince the mushrooms. A handful at
a time, twist them into a ball in the corner of a towel
to extract their juice. Saute in the butter and oil with
the shallots or onions for 8 to 10 minutes until the
mushroom pieces begin to separate from each other.

HAM

395

l A cup Madeira or port

Add the wine to the mushrooms and boil rapidly un-
til the liquid has almost completely evaporated.

Salt and pepper
6 to 7 ounces or % cup
mousse de foie gras, or
mousse de foie d’oie
(the latter is pureed liver
from a plain goose and is
much less expensive)

Vi tsp sage or thyme
Pinch of allspice
Optional: i or 2 diced,
canned truffles (reserve
their juice for your sauce)

Scrape the mushrooms into a mixing bowl and season
with salt and pepper. Blend in the rest of the ingredi-
ents. Taste carefully for seasoning, but do not salt too
heavily because the ham is salted.

A io-lb. cooked ham,
skinned, and trimmed of
excess fat

A large square of well
washed cheesecloth, if
needed

Cut the upper two thirds of the ham into neat, thin,
horizontal serving slices, piling them to one side in
the order in which you slice them. Leave the lower
third of the ham intact to act as a cradle to hold the
slices when you put them back. Spread a spoonful of
the mushroom stuffing in the center of each slice and
pile the slices back onto the ham, reconstructing it
into approximately its original shape. If the slices
have been arranged neatly and solidly on the ham, no
tying is necessary to keep them in place while the ham
braises. But if you are doubtful, wrap the ham in
cheesecloth.

Then braise the ham for about 2 l / 2 hours with cooked
vegetables, herbs, stock, and Madeira as described in
the braising recipe, page 393. Serve it with the same
Madeira sauce, and braised spinach, page 470.

VARIATION

Jambon Farci en Croute

[Stuffed Ham Baked in a Pastry Crust]

A splendid way to serve the preceding sliced and stuffed ham is to bake
it in a pastry crust. To do so, after stuffing and braising it, allow it to cool for
about an hour. Then, following the directions for duck in a crust, page 571,

39 ^

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

surround it with a decorated pastry dough and bake it in a 375-degree oven
for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is cooked and nicely browned.

HAM SLICES

Tranches dc Jambon

Sliced ham responds to a number of interesting preparations which are
relatively quick and simple to do.

TRANCHES DE JAMBON EN PIPERADE

[Ham Slices Baked with Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers]

This savory recipe for thick slices of smoked ham may be prepared for
baking several hours before it is set in the oven. Sauteed potatoes, green beans,
and a light red wine or a rose go well with it.

Tor 6 people

2/2 to 3 lbs. of cooked ham,
sliced V2 inch thick, and
cut into serving pieces if
you wish

3 Tb rendered ham fat or
olive oil
A large skillet
A shallow baking dish large
enough to hold ham in
one layer

Trim off excess fat, and dry the ham slice or slices on
paper towels. Heat the fat or olive oil in the skillet un-
til it is almost smoking, then brown the ham lightly
for a minute or two on each side. Remove skillet from
heat and place the ham in the baking dish.

1 cup sliced yellow onions
1 cup sliced green bell pep-
pers

Lower heat, and stir the onions into the fat in the
skillet. Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Stir in
the peppers and cook 5 minutes more or until the
vegetables are tender but not browned.

2 lbs. firm, ripe, red toma-
toes, peeled, seeded, juiced,
and sliced, page 505
(makes 3 cups of pulp)

Spread the tomato pulp over the onions and peppers,
add the garlic and seasonings. Cover and cook slowly
for 5 minutes so the tomatoes will render their re-
maining juice. Then uncover and boil for several

HAM

397

2 cloves mashed garlic
54 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
54 tsp sage or thyme

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley

minutes, shaking the skillet, until the tomato juice
has almost entirely evaporated.

Cover the browned ham with the vegetables.

(*) May be done in advance to this point.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. About 20 to 30 minutes
before serving time, cover the baking dish and place
it in the middle level of the oven and bake until
the ham is heated through and tender when pierced
with a fork. Baste with the juices in the dish and cor-
rect seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Decorate with
parsley and serve.

TRANCHES DE J AMBON MORVANDELLE

[Sauteed Ham Slices — Cream and Madeira Sauce]

Placed on a bed of spinach braised in stock, surrounded with broiled
mushrooms or sauteed potatoes, this is a delectable ham dish. Serve with it a
light red wine, or a Chablis or Pouilly-Fuisse.

For 6 people

1Z2 to 3 lbs. of cooked ham,
sliced 54 inch thick

Trim off excess fat, and cut the ham into serving
pieces. Dry on paper towels.

2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

An enameled skillet

A few pieces at a time, brown the ham lightly for a
minute on each side in hot butter and oil. Set the ham
aside.

3 Tb flour

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
A wooden spoon

Pour all but 2*4 tablespoons of fat out of the skillet.
Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, then the shal-
lots or onions, and cook slowly for 2 or 3 minutes
without browning. Remove from heat.

1 cup very good ham stock,
white or brown stock, or
canned beef bouillon
54 cup Madeira or port
A wire whip
1 Tb tomato paste
Big pinch of pepper

Bring the stock or bouillon and wine to the simmer
in a small saucepan. Blend it into the flour in the skil-
let with a wire whip. Beat in the tomato paste and
pepper.

398

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Bring the sauce to the simmer, stirring, then beat in
the cream. Simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, allowing the
sauce to reduce until it coats the spoon lightly. Taste
carefully for seasoning but do not oversalt. Stir in the
cognac. Then add the ham slices and spoon the sauce
over them.

(*) May be done in advance to this point. Film
surface with a spoonful of cream and set aside.

A hot platter on which, if Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, cover,
you wish, is a mound of and simmer slowly for a minute or two until the ham
spinach braised in stock, is tender when pierced with a fork. Taste again for
page 470 seasoning. Transfer the ham to a platter, or place it

over a bed of braised spinach. Spoon the sauce over
the ham and serve.

VARIATION

Mix sliced, sauteed mushrooms into the sauce to simmer with the ham.

TRANCHES DE JAMBON A LA CREME

[Sauteed Ham Slices — Fresh Cream Sauce]

This famous recipe is the same idea as the preceding one, but is made
with a richer and more delicate sauce.

For 6 people

2/2 to 3 lbs. cooked ham, Trim off excess fat, cut the ham into serving pieces,
sliced 54 inch thick and dry on paper towels. Brown the slices lightly on

2 Tb butter each side in hot butter and oil and set them aside.

1 Tb oil Pour all but a tablespoon of sauteing fat out of the

A 9- to 10-inch skillet skillet, stir in the shallots or onions, and cook slowly

2 Tb shallots or green for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cognac and,

onions scraping up the coagulated saute juices with a wooden

Vi cup Madeira or port and spoon, boil rapidly until the liquid has reduced to 3
3 Tb cognac or 4 tablespoons.

A wooden spoon

2 cups whipping cream Add the cream to the skillet, beat in the mustard

2 Tb Dijon-type prepared mixture, and the pepper. Simmer slowly for 10 to 15

1/2 cups whipping cream
3 Tb cognac

HAM

399

mustard mixed with i Tb minutes, until the cream has reduced to about i l / 2

tomato paste and 2 Tb cups and has thickened lightly. Correct seasoning, but

whipping cream do not oversalt.

Big pinch of pepper

Return the ham slices to the skillet and baste them
with the sauce.

(*) May be done ahead to this point.

A hot platter on which, if
you wish, is a mound of
spinach braised in stock,
page 470

Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, cover and
simmer for several minutes until the ham is reheated
and tender. Arrange the ham on a hot platter or on
the bed of spinach. Spoon the sauce over the ham and
serve.

FRENCH BAKED BEANS

Cassoulet

Cassoulct is a rich combination of beans baked with meats, as much a part
of southwestern France as Boston baked beans are of New England. The com-
position of a cassoulet is, in typical French fashion, die subject of infinite dis-
pute, so much so that if you have read or heard about cassoulet and never
tasted it, you come to expect a kind of rare ambrosia rather than the nourish-
ing country fare it actually is. As cassoulet is native to a relatively large region
of France, each part of which has its own specialties, arguments about what
should go into this famous dish seem based on local traditions. Toulousains
insist diat it must include among its meats preserved goose, confit d’oie, or it is
not a real cassoulet. After all, something must be done with all die geese which
housed the foie gras, and cassoulet is a natural solution in the Toulouse area.
Then there are those who declare the cassoulet was born in Castelnaudary, and
originally contained only beans, pork, and sausages. A heretical few suggest
the cassoulet was not a French invention at all, but an adaption from the Arab
fava bean and mutton stew. And so on, with variations and dogmatisms ramp-
ant. Fortunately all the talk can be regarded as so much historical background,
for an extremely good cassoulet can be made anywhere out of beans and what-
ever of its traditional meats are available: goose, game, pork, sausages, lamb,
mutton. The important item is flavor, which comes largely from the liquid the
beans and meats arc cooked in. And trudi to tell, despite all the to-do about

400

CHAPTER SEVEN: HEAT

preserved goose, once it is cooked with the beans you may find difficulty in dis-
tinguishing goose from pork.

The following recipe makes no attempt to cut corners, for the concoction
of a good cassoulet is a fairly long process. You can prepare it in one day, but
two or even three days of leisurely on-and-off cooking are much easier. It calls
for a roast loin of pork, shoulder of lamb braised in wine, homemade sausage
cakes, and beans cooked with pork rind, fresh bacon or salt pork, and aromatic
vegetables. The meats are cut into serving pieces and arranged in a casserole
with the beans and various cooking juices. Then the dish is baked in the oven
for an hour to blend flavors. Time could be saved if the lamb were roasted
whole or if leftover roast were used, but flavor would be lost, and there would
be no splendid braising liquid to give character to the cassoulet. Polish sausage
could cook with the beans, replacing die homemade sausage cakes. But after
you have made the dish once or twice, you will see diat you can pretty well in-
vent your own formula as long as you supply excellent flavor through one
means or another. Suggestions for other meats are at the end of die recipe.

MENU SUGGESTIONS

Any cassoulet worthy of the name is not a light dish, and is probably
best served as a noontime dinner. The rest of the menu should consist of a
simple first course if any — a clear soup, jellied soup, or oysters — then a green
salad and fruits. For wine, choose a strong, dry rose or white, or a young, full-
bodied red.

THE BEANS

Most French recipes specify simply “dry white beans.” A few call for
white beans from certain localities in France such as Cayence, Pamiers, Ma-
zeres, Lavelanet. We have found American Great Northern beans to be en-
tirely satisfactory, but they should not be old and stale. If you wish to pressure-
cook them instead of using the open-pot method, soak them as directed in the
recipe, then add all the ingredients listed and, following the directions for
your cooker, bring them quickly to 15 pounds pressure. Cook for exactly 3
minutes, then allow the pressure to go down slowly by itself, 15 to 20 minutes.
Let the beans stand uncovered in the cooking liquid for at least 30 minutes so
they will absorb its flavor.

A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF BATTLE
All of the various steps leading up to the final assembly in the recipe be-
low may be carried on at various times or almost simultaneously. Once the cas-

CASSOULET

401

soulet is made ready for the oven, it may be refrigerated and baked a day 01

two later.

* CASSOULET DE PORC ET DE MOUTON

[Beans Baked with Pork Loin, Shoulder of Mutton or Lamb, and Sau-
sage]

For 10 to 12 people
T he por\ loin

2 14 lbs. of boned pork loin,
excess fat removed (It
will taste even better if
marinated overnight in
salt and spices, page 376.)

The beans

2 lbs. or 5 cups dry white Drop the beans into the boiling water. Bring rapidly

beans (Great Northern, back to the boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from

preferably) heat and let the beans soak in the water for 1 hour;

An 8-quart ketde containing they will cook in the soaking water, and the cooking

5 quarts of rapidly boiling should proceed as soon as possible after the soaking

water process is completed.

While the beans are soaking, place the rind in the
saucepan and cover with 1 quart of cold water. Bring
to the boil and boil 1 minute. Drain, rinse in cold wa-
ter, and repeat the process. Then, with shears, cut the
rind into strips % inch wide; cut the strips into small
triangles. Cover the rind again with a quart of cold
water, bring to the simmer, and simmer very slowly
for 30 minutes. Set saucepan aside. This process fresh-
ens the rind, and softens it so it will lose itself as it
cooks with the beans.

A i-lb. chunk of fresh, un- Place all the ingredients at the left in the kettle with

salted, unsmoked lean the soaked beans. Bring to the simmer. Skim off any

bacon (or very good skum which may rise. Simmer slowly, uncovered, for

quality lean salt pork sim- about i l / 2 hours or until the beans are just tender,

mered for 10 minutes in 2 Add boiling water if necessary during cooking, to

quarts of water and keep beans covered with liquid. Season to taste near

drained) end of cooking. Leave beans in their cooking liquid

14 lb. fresh pork rind or salt
pork rind
A heavy saucepan
Heavy shears

Following directions on page 380, roast the pork to an
internal temperature of 175 to 180 degrees. Set it aside
to cool. Reserve cooking juices.

402

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

1 cup (4 ounces) sliced
onions

The pork rind and its cook-
ing liquid

A large herb bouquet, with
garlic and cloves: 6 to 8
parsley sprigs, 4 unpeeled
cloves garlic, 2 cloves, V2
tsp thyme, and 2 bay
leaves tied in cheesecloth

No salt until later if you
have used salt pork; other-
wise 1 Tb salt

The lamb or mutton

2 to 2/2 lbs. boned shoulder
or breast of mutton or
almost mature lamb, fell
(skin covering meat) and
excess fat removed

4 to 6 Tb rendered fresh
pork fat, pork-roast drip-
pings, goose fat, or cook-
ing oil; more if needed

A heavy, 8-quart fireproof
casserole

About 1 lb. cracked mutton
or lamb bones; some pork
bones may be included

2 cups ( Zi lb.) minced on-
ions

until ready to use, then drain. Reserve cooking liquid.
Remove the bacon or salt pork and set aside. Discard
the herb packet.

Cut the lamb or mutton into chunks roughly 2 inches
square. Dry each piece in paper towels. Pour a ^fl-
inch layer of fat into the casserole and heat until the
fat is almost smoking. Brown the meat, a few pieces
at a time, on all sides. Set the meat on a side dish.
Brown the bones and add them to the meat. If fat has
burned, discard it and add 3 tablespoons of fresh fat.
Lower heat, and brown the onions lightly for about 5
minutes.

4 cloves mashed garlic

6 Tb fresh tomato puree,
tomato paste, or 4 large
tomatoes peeled, seeded,
and juiced, page 505

Z2 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

3 cups dry white wine or 2
cups dry white vermouth

1 quart brown stock or 3

Return the bones and lamb or mutton to the casserole
and stir in all ingredients on the left. Bring to the
simmer on top of the stove, season lightly with salt.
Cover and simmer slowly on top of the stove or in a
325-degree oven for i/ 2 hours. Then remove the meat
to a dish; discard the bones and bay leaves. Remove
all but 2 tablespoons fat and carefully correct season-
ing of cooking liquid.

CASSOULET

403

cups canned beef bouillon
and 1 cup water
Salt and pepper

Final flavoring of beans

Pour the cooked and drained beans into the lamb
cooking juices. Stir in any juices you may have from
the roast pork. Add bean cooking liquid, if necessary,
so beans are covered. Bring to the simmer and simmer
5 minutes, then let the beans stand in the liquid for
10 minutes to absorb flavor. Drain the beans when
you are ready for the final assembly farther on.

Homemade sausage calces — a substitute for Saucisse de Toulouse

1 lb. (2 cups) lean fresh pork
Vi lb. (% cup) fresh pork

fat

A meat grinder
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wooden spoon

2 tsp salt

Vs tsp pepper
Big pinch allspice
Vs tsp crumbled bay leaf
Va cup armagnac or cognac
A small clove mashed garlic
Optional: 1 chopped truffle
and the juice from the can

Final assembly

An 8-quart fireproof cas-
serole 5 to 6 inches high:
brown earthenware glazed
inside is typical, but other
types of glazed pottery
or enameled iron will do
nicely

2 cups dry white bread
crumbs mixed with Vi cup
chopped parsley

3 to 4 Tb pork roasting fat
or goose fat

Put the pork and fat through the medium blade of
the meat grinder. Place in bowl and beat in the rest
of the ingredients on the left. Saute a small spoonful
and taste for seasoning, adding more to the mixture if
you feel it necessary. Form into cakes 2 inches in di-
ameter and Vi inch thick. Brown lightly over mod-
erate heat in a skillet. Drain on paper towels.

Cut the roast pork into 1V2 to 2 inch serving chunks.
Slice the bacon or salt pork into serving pieces Va inch
thick. Arrange a layer of beans in the bottom of the
casserole, then continue with layers of lamb or mut-
ton, roast pork, bacon slices, sausage cakes, and beans,
ending with a layer of beans and sausage cakes. Pour
on the meat cooking juices, and enough bean cooking
juice so liquid comes just to the top layer of beans.
Spread on the crumbs and parsley, and dribble the fat
on top.

(*) Set aside or refrigerate until you are ready to take
up the final cooking of about an hour. The cassoulet

4°4

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

should be served soon after its baking, so it will not
dry out or overcook.

Baling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring the casserole to the simmer on top of the stove.
Then set it in the upper third of the preheated oven. When the top has crusted
lightly, in about 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Break the crust
into the beans with the back of a spoon, and baste with the liquid in the casserole.
Repeat several times, as the crust forms again, but leave a final crust intact for
serving. If the liquid in the casserole becomes too thick during the baking period,
add a spoonful or two of bean cooking liquid. The cassoulet should bake for about
an hour; serve it from its casserole.

VARIATIONS

Here are some additions or substitutions for die meats in the preceding
recipe.

Preserved Goose, Confit d’Oie. This is goose, usually from the foie gras
regions of France, which has been cut into wing, leg, and breast sections,
poached in goose fat, and preserved in goose fat. It can usually be bought in
cans from one of the food-importing stores. Use it instead of, or even in addi-
tion to, the roast pork in die recipe. Scrape the fat off the pieces of goose, and
cut the goose into serving portions. Brown them lightly in some of the fat from
the can. Arrange the goose in die casserole with the beans and meats for the
final baking.

Fresh Goose, Duck, Turkey, or Partridge. Roast or braise any of these,
and carve into serving pieces. Use along with or instead of the roast pork in
the recipe, arranging the pieces with the beans and meats in the casserole for
the final baking.

Ham Hock or Veal Shank • Simmer either of these with the beans. Cut
into serving pieces before arranging in the casserole for the final baking.

Polish Sausage. This sausage can usually be bought in any American
market, and is a good substitute for such French sausages as de campagne, de
menage, a cuire, a Fail, or de Morteau. First simmer the whole sausage for / 2
hour with the beans. Then cut it into 14 -inch slices and arrange in the casserole
with the beans and the other meats for the final baking. Polish sausage may be
used instead of or hi addition to the sausage cakes in the recipe.

calf’s liver

405

SAUTEED CALF’S LIVER

Foie de Veau Saute

It is most important that calf’s liver be sauteed in very hot butter and oil,
so a crust will form on the outside which will keep the juices in. Do not crowd
the skillet, use two skillets if necessary, and do not use a skillet too large for
your source of heat. Sauteed liver should be pink inside, its juices will run a
very pale rose when the meat is pricked with a fork. Have the liver cut into
even slices % inch thick, and ask that the surrounding filament be peeled off
each slice; if this is left on, the liver will curl as it cooks.

WINE AND VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS
Broiled tomatoes, braised spinach, or ratatouille (eggplant and tomato
casserole, page 503), and sauteed potatoes go well with liver. Wine choices
would be chilled rose, or a light red such as Bordeaux or Beaujolais.

* FOIE DE VEAU SAUTE

[Sauteed Calf’s Liver]

For 6 people

6 to 12 slices of calf’s liver Just before sauteing, season the slices with salt and

Vs inch thick, with sur- pepper, roll in flour, and shake off excess flour,

rounding filament re-
moved

Salt and pepper

Vi cup of sifted flour on a
large plate

1 or 2 heavy skillets

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil for
each skillet

A hot platter
A vegetable garniture, wa-
ter cress, or parsley

Place the butter and oil in the skillet or skillets and
set over high heat until you see that the butter foam
has almost subsided, indicating it is hot enough. Then
arrange the liver in the skillet, leaving a ^-inch
space between each slice. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes,
regulating heat so butter is always very hot but not
burning. Turn the liver with a spatula and saute for

40 6

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

a minute or so on the other side. The liver is done
when its juices run a very pale pink if a slice is pricked
with a fork. Remove the liver to a hot platter and
serve, surrounded by whatever garniture you have
chosen, or decorated with water cress or sprigs of
parsley.

SAUCES TO SERVE WITH SAUTEED LIVER
Sauce Creme a la Moutarde
[Cream and Mustard Sauce]

For about 1 cup

/t cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
s /t cup whipping cream

As soon as the liver has been removed to a platter,
pour the stock or bouillon into the skillet and boil
down rapidly until it has reduced by half. Then add
the cream and boil for a moment to reduce and
thicken it slightly.

i Tb prepared mustard,
mashed with 2 Tb sof-
tened butter
Parsley sprigs

Off heat, swirl the mustard-butter into the skillet.
Pour the sauce around the liver, decorate with pars-
ley, and serve.

Other Sauces

The sauces in the following list can be prepared in advance; either serve
them separately, or pour them around the sauteed liver. About 1 / cups should
be sufficient.

Coulis de Tomates, fresh tomato puree with herbs, page 78
Sauce Robert, brown sauce with mustard and onions, page 72
Sauce Brune aux Fines Herbes, brown herb sauce, page 73
Sauce a ITtalienne, tomato-flavored brown sauce with diced mushrooms,
diced ham, and herbs, page 41 1 »

Beurres Composes, flavored butters, pages 100 to 103. These include butter
creamed with mustard, widi herbs, with garlic, and with wine and herbs.
Spread a spoonful over each slice of sauteed liver, or cut chilled, flavored butter
into pieces and pass separately.

calf’s liver

407

FOIE DE VEAU A LA MOUTARDE

[Liver with Mustard, Herbs, and Bread Crumbs]

This is an appealing way to prepare liver. It is sauteed very briefly to
brown lightly, then painted with mustard and herbs, rolled in fresh bread
crumbs, basted with melted butter, and set under a hot broiler to brown the
crumbs. The preliminary sauteing and crumbing may be done several hours in
advance of the final cooking, which takes about 5 minutes. For this recipe, the
liver is sliced thicker, so it will not cook too quickly.

For 6 servings

6 slices of calf’s liver cut Z2
inch thick, outside fila-
ment removed
Salt and pepper
Zz cup sifted flour on a large
plate

2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
A heavy skillet

Season the liver with salt and pepper, dredge in flour,
and saute for 1 minute on each side in very hot butter
and oil. The slices should be very lightly browned
and slightly stiffened, but not cooked through. Re-
move to a dish.

3 Tb prepared mustard of
the strong, Dijon type
1 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions
3 Tb minced parsley
Zz clove mashed garlic
Pinch of pepper
3 cups fine, white, fresh
bread crumbs spread on a
large plate

A greased broiling pan

Beat the mustard in a small bowl with the shallots or
onions and seasonings. Drop by drop, beat in the liver
sauteing fat to make a mayonnaiselike cream. Paint
the liver slices with the mixture. One by one, lay the
slices in the bread crumbs and heap bread crumbs on
top, gently shake off excess, and pat the adhering
crumbs in place with the flat of a knife. Arrange the
liver on the broiling pan.

(*) If not to be broiled immediately, cover with
waxed paper and refrigerate.

Shortly before serving, heat broiler to very hot.

6 Tb melted butter
A hot platter

Baste the liver with half the melted butter. Place so
its surface is about 2 inches from the broiler heat to
brown for a minute or two. Turn, baste with the re-
maining butter, and brown the other side quickly.
Arrange on a hot platter and serve.

408

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

SWEETBREADS AND BRAINS

Ris de V eau et Ccrvelles

Sweetbreads and brains have much the same texture and flavor, but brains
are more delicate. They both receive almost the same treatments. Both must be
soaked for several hours in cold water before they are cooked, to soften die fila-
ment which covers them so that it may be removed, to dissolve their bloody
patches, and to whiten them. Some authorities direct that they always be
blanched before cooking — that is, poached in salted and acidulated water or a
court bouillon; others do not agree. If the sweetbreads or brains are to be
braised, blanching is a useless and flavor-losing step. If they are to be sliced
and sauteed, blanching firms them up so they are easier to cut, but removes
some of their delicacy and tenderness. Both brains and sweetbreads are perish-
able, and if they are not to be cooked within 24 hours, they should be soaked
and blanched which will help to preserve them.

SOAKING SWEETBREADS AND BRAINS
Wash in cold water, then place in a bowl and soak in several changes of
cold water or under a dripping tap for 1/ to 2 hours. Delicately pull off as
much as you easily can of the filament which encloses them, without tearing
the flesh. This is a rather slow process. Soak them again for i/ 2 to 2 hours, this
time in several changes of cold water containing 1 tablespoon of vinegar per
quart. Peel off as much more filament as you can, and they are ready for trim-
ming and cooking.

TRIMMING

A whole sweetbread, which is the thymus gland of a calf and usually
weighs about 1 pound, consists of 2 lobes connected by a soft, white tube, the
cornet. The smoother, rounder, and more solid of the two lobes is the kernel,
heart, or noix, and choicest piece. The second lobe, called throat sweetbread or
gorge, is more uneven in shape, broken by veins, and is often slit. Separate the
two lobes from the tube with a knife. The tube may be added to the stock pot.

For brains, cut off white, opaque bits at the base.

SWEETBREADS AND BRAINS

409

BLANCHING SWEETBREADS

Sweetbreads, trimmed and
soaked as in preceding
directions

An enameled saucepan just
large enough to hold them

Cold water

Per quart of water: 1 tsp
salt and 1 Tb lemon juice

Place sweetbreads in saucepan and cover by 2 inches
with cold water; add salt and lemon juice. Bring to
simmer and cook, uncovered, at barest simmer for 15
minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water for 5
minutes. Drain. The sweetbreads are now ready for
sauteing.

BLANCHING BRAINS

Brains, trimmed and soaked
as in preceding directions
An enameled saucepan just
large enough to hold them
Boiling water

Per quart of water: 1 tsp
salt and 1 Tb lemon juice

Place brains in saucepan and cover by 2 inches with
boiling water; add salt and lemon juice or vinegar.
Heat to just below simmer and maintain water at a
not-quite-simmering temperature, timing as follows:
Lamb brains, 15 minutes
Calf or pork brains, 20 minutes
Beef brains, 30 minutes

Then set saucepan aside and let the brains cool for
20 minutes in the cooking liquid; if they are not to
be used until later, set saucepan in refrigerator. Drain
the brains, and they are ready for sauteing, page 413.

PRESSING BLANCHED BRAINS OR SWEETBREADS UNDER A WEIGHT
Some cooks like to weight blanched sweetbreads or brains for 2 to 3 hours
under a heavy dinnerplate. This forces the water out of them, and flattens them
so they are easy to cut into narrow slices. Follow this system or not, as you wish.

SWEETBREADS

* RIS DE VEAU BRAISES

[Braised Sweetbreads]

Braising is a preliminary cooking for sweetbreads, and you will note that
no blanching is required. The soaked and peeled sweetbreads are first cooked

4io

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

slowly in butter to firm them a little and to render some of their juices; they
are then baked with wine and other flavorings. After this cooking, or braising,
which may take place as long as the day before you are to use them, the sweet-
breads are ready for saucing and serving. Sauced sweetbreads may be arranged
in a ring of rice or risotto, in a vol-au-vent or pastry shell, on a platter, or they
may be gratineed. Drained, braised sweetbreads are also good cold, in a salad.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
Rice or risotto, and buttered peas or creamed or braised spinach go well
with sweetbreads. Serve a light red wine such a Bordeaux-Medoc, or a rose
with sweetbreads in brown sauce; a white Burgundy or a white Graves with
sweetbreads in cream sauce.

For 6 people

14 cup each: finely diced
carrots, onions, celery, and
diced ham
4 Tb butter

A medium herb bouquet:

4 parsley sprigs, 14 tsp
thyme, and Vi bay leaf
tied in cheesecloth

14 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
A io-inch enameled skillet

Vi tsp salt Season the sweetbreads. Arrange them in the skillet

Big pinch of pepper and baste them with the butter and vegetables. Cover

i Vi to 2 lbs. sweetbreads pre- and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Turn, baste, and cook
viously soaked, peeled, 5 minutes more. They will render quite a bit of juice,
and trimmed as directed
on page 408

A buttered fireproof casse- Transfer the sweetbreads to the casserole,
role or baking dish about
7 inches in diameter, or
just large enough to hold
the sweetbreads in one
layer

Cook the diced vegetables and ham slowly in the
butter with the herb bouquet and seasonings for 10
to 15 minutes, until tender but not browned.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

SWEETBREADS AND BRAINS

411

% cup dry white wine or Vi
cup dry white vermouth
1 cup brown stock or canned
beef bouillon if you are
serving a brown sauce; 1
cup white stock or canned
chicken broth if you are
serving a white sauce

Pour the wine into the skillet with the sweetbread
juices and vegetables, and boil down rapidly until the
liquids have reduced to / cup. Then pour the liquids,
vegetables, and herb bouquet over the sweetbreads;
add sufficient stock, bouillon, or broth barely to cover
them.

Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover the
casserole and place in lower third of oven. Regulate
heat so the sweetbreads cook at the barest simmer for
45 minutes.

(*) Let the sweetbreads cool in their cooking stock
until you are ready to use them.

VARIATIONS

Ris de Veau Braises a I’ltalienne

[Braised Sweetbreads with Brown Mushroom Sauce]

Tor 6 people

The braised sweetbreads in
the preceding recipe

Remove the sweetbreads from the braising casserole.
Drain, cut into [ 4 'inch slices, and set aside.

1 Tb cornstarch blended
with x Tlx dry white wine
or vermouth
1 Tb tomato paste
Z2 lb. finely diced fresh
mushrooms sauteed in
butter, page 513
Zt cup diced, boiled ham
Salt and pepper

Rapidly boil down the cooking stock in the casserole
to 1 ]/ 2 cups. Remove from heat and discard herb bou-
quet. (The braising vegetables and ham remain, and
become a part of the sauce.) Beat in the starch mix-
ture and the tomato paste. Stir in the mushrooms and
additional ham; simmer for 3 minutes, stirring. Cor-
rect seasoning and fold in the sliced sweetbreads.

(*) If not to be served immediately, film sauce with a
spoonful of stock.

2 Tb minced green herbs
such as parsley, chervil,
and tarragon, or parsley
only

Reheat for 2 to 3 minutes at below the simmer just
before serving. Arrange on a serving dish, or in a
patty shell or ring of rice. Sprinkle with herbs, and
serve.

4X2

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

Ris de Veau a la Creme
Ris de Veau a la Marechale
[Creamed Sweetbreads]

1/2 to 2 lbs. braised sweet-
breads, master recipe

Cut the braised sweetbreads into slices / inch thick
and set aside. Rapidly boil down their cooking stock
until it has reduced to 1% cups.

A 6-cup enameled saucepan
2/2 Tb butter
3 Tb flour

In a separate pan, cook the butter and flour slowly to-
gether until they foam for 2 minutes without brown-
ing. Off heat, strain in the hot cooking stock and beat
vigorously to blend. Bring to the simmer, stirring, for
1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

% to 1 cup whipping cream Beat in / 2 cup of cream, simmering, then beat in more
Salt and pepper by spoonfuls until the sauce thins out and coats the

Drops of lemon juice spoon nicely. Correct seasoning, adding drops of

lemon juice if you feel it necessary.

Replace the sweetbreads in their original casserole, or
in a fireproof serving dish, and pour the sauce over
them.

(*) If not to be served immediately, film top with a
spoonful of cream.

2 Tb minced, mixed green
herbs or parsley

Reheat for 3 to 4 minutes at below the simmer before
serving, dicn decorate with the herbs.

Ris de Veau a la Creme et aux Champignons
[Creamed Sweetbreads with Mushrooms]

Ingredients for the preced-
ing creamed sweetbreads
Z2 lb. sliced fresh mush-

After making the sauce, stir in the mushrooms and
simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce
slightly as the mushrooms will thin it out. Then pro-
ceed with the recipe.

rooms

SWEETBREADS AND BRAINS

413

Ris de Veau an Gratin

[Sweetbreads au Gratin]

Ingredients for the braised
sweetbreads on page 409
and any of the preceding
sauces

V4 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter, cut into bits

Arrange the sliced sweetbreads in a buttered baking
dish or individual shells or dishes. Pour sauce over
them. Sprinkle on the cheese, and dot with the butter.
Set aside until ready to serve.

About 10 minutes before serving, place 7 to 8 inches
under a moderately hot broiler to heat the sweetbreads
through and to brown the top of the sauce lightly.

ESCALOPES DE RIS DE VEAU SAUTES

[Sweetbreads Sauteed in Butter]

These are done exactly like brains sauteed in butter, and are accompanied
by any of the sauces suggested at the end of that recipe, page 415.

BRAINS

Although calf’s brains are those most universally known in America,
lamb brains are equally good. Mutton, pork, and beef brains are less delicate
in texture than calf brains and are best when braised, but you may saute them
if you wish. Soaking and peeling directions for brains are at the beginning of
this section on page 408. We shall call everything in the following recipes calf’s
brains with the understanding that calf, lamb, mutton, pork, and beef brains
are interchangeable though their cooking times differ slightly as indicated in
the blanching directions on page 409.

* CERVELLES AU BEURRE NOIR

[Calf’s Brains in Brown Butter Sauce]

Brown butter sauce and calf’s brains are almost synonyms, they go so well
together. To be at its best, the sauce should always be made separately, not in

4 T 4

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

the pan in which you sauteed the brains. It is thus clear and unspeckled, and
also much more digestible. In addition, as the brains can be sauteed only at the
last minute, the dish will then be ready to serve almost at once.

Of the several methods for cervelles au beurre noir, we have chosen that
of pre-cooking the brains, slicing them, marinating them in a vinaigrette, then
sauteing and saucing them. As alternatives, you may simply pour a brown
butter sauce over hot, blanched brains, or you may omit the pre-cooking and
marination altogether. In this case, slice raw, soaked, and trimmed brains, sea-
son, dredge in flour, and saute them; then pour the sauce over them.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS
This dish often constitutes a separate course, but if you wish to serve the
brains as a main course, accompany them with mashed or parsley potatoes and
either buttered green peas or the spinach braised in stock on page 470. Wine
choices would be a light red, such as Bordeaux-Medoc, or a rose; good but less
usual would be a white Burgundy.

For 6 people as a main course

1V2 lbs. calf’s brains, pre-
viously soaked, trimmed,
and blanched according
to directions on page 409

3 Tb lemon juice
Vs tsp salt

A 2V2 quart mixing bowl
Pinch of pepper

1 Tb olive oil

2 Tb minced parsley

1 cup brown butter sauce, While the brains are marinating, prepare the sauce
page 98, with or without and keep hot over simmering water,
capers

1 cup flour sifted into a dish Just before sauteing, drain the brains. Roll in the flour

and shake off excess flour.

Beat the lemon juice and salt in the bowl until the
salt has dissolved. Then beat in the pepper, oil, and
parsley. Fold the sliced brains into the sauce. Marinate
for 30 minutes, or until you are ready to saute them.

Cut the blanched brains into slices / 2 inch thick.

1 or 2 heavy skillets

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil for
each skillet

Set the skillet or skillets over moderately high heat
with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the
butter foam has almost subsided, brown the brains
lightly for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

SWEETBREADS AND BRAINS

415

A hot platter

Arrange on a hot platter, pour the hot butter sauce
over them, and serve.

VARIATIONS: SAUCES

Sauce a ITtalienne, tomato-flavored brown sauce with diced mushrooms,
diced ham, and herbs, page 41 1

Couhs dc Tomates, fresh tomato sauce with herbs, page 78

CERVELLES BRAISEES

[Braised Calf’s Brains]

The brains are cooked in butter with aromatic vegetables, herbs, wine,
and stock. Follow the recipe for braised sweetbreads, page 409, and use the
same sauces, but the oven-simmering times are:

20 minutes for lamb brains
30 minutes for calf and pork brains
45 minutes for beef brains

CERVELLES EN MATELOTE

[Calf’s Brains in Red Wine with Mushrooms and Onions]

This dish makes a complete course in itself. Serve a light red Burgundy
or Macon wine.

For 6 people

2 cups good, young, red
wine (Macon or Bur-
gundy)

1 cup brown stock or canned
beef bouillon

An enameled saucepan just

Bring the wine and stock or bouillon to the simmer
in the saucepan with the herbs and garlic. Add the
brains, bring to the simmer, and cook uncovered
at just below the simmer for 20 minutes. Allow the
brains to cool in the cooking liquid for 20 minutes, so
they will absorb flavor, and firm up. Then drain

4x6

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

large enough to hold the
brains in one layer

54 tsp thyme

4 sprigs of parsley
54 bay leaf

1 clove mashed garlic

1 54 lbs. calf’s brains, pre-
viously soaked and peeled,
page 408

A buttered, fireproof serving
dish

54 Tb tomato paste

2 Tb flour mashed to a paste
with 2 Tb softened butter

Salt and pepper

24 small, brown-braised on-
ions, page 483

54 lb. fresh mushrooms sau-
teed in butter, page 513

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

12 heart-shaped croutons
(white bread sauteed in
clarified butter), page 199
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley

them, slice into 54-inch pieces, and arrange in the
buttered serving dish.

Beat the tomato paste into the cooking stock, and
boil down rapidly until the liquid has reduced to i*4
cups. Off heat, beat in the flour-butter paste. Boil,
stirring, for 1 minute. Correct seasoning.

Arrange the onions and mushrooms around the
brains, and strain the sauce over the brains and vege-
tables.

( # ) If not to be served immediately, film the sauce
with a spoonful of stock or melted butter.

Just before serving, set over low heat to warm
through for 3 to 4 minutes without simmering. Off
heat, tip dish, add butter, a half-tablespoon at a time,
and baste brains and vegetables with the sauce until
the butter has absorbed.

Decorate with croutons and parsley, and serve.

VEAL AND LAMB KIDNEYS

Rognons de Veau et de Mouton

Cooked kidneys should be tender and slightly pink near the center. The
bursting-out of juices is always a problem when they are sauteed in slices. Un-
less your source of heat is a very strong one, within a few seconds after the
slices hit the pan their juices pour out and the kidneys boil and toughen rather

KIDNEYS

417

than saute. An excellent solution— and, in fact, the best method for kidneys in
our experience is to cook the whole kidney in butter, then slice it, and warm
the slices briefly in a sauce. However, if you prefer to saute raw sliced kidneys,
do so in very hot butter and oil for only 2 to 3 minutes. They do not brown;
they just cook through, turning a uniform gray outside but remaining some-
what pink inside. Then remove the kidneys to a hot dish, make one of the
sauces described in the following recipes, and return the kidneys to warm in
the sauce without boiling.

Any of the following recipes may be done at the table in a chafing dish.

LAMB KIDNEYS

All of the following recipes are for veal kidneys, but are equally applicable
to lamb kidneys. Allow 2 or 3 lamb kidneys per person. Cook them whole in
butter as described in the master recipe, but only for 4 to 5 minutes rather than
the 10 for veal kidneys. Then proceed with the recipe.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Both lamb and veal kidneys are encased in a layer of fat which has usually
been peeled off, presumably without breaking the kidneys, before you buy
them. Under this is a thin filament surrounding die kidney; it should also be
peeled off. Cut out most of the button of fat on the underside of lamb kidneys,
and most of the knob of fat under a veal kidney. A trimmed veal kidney will
weigh 6 to 8 ounces; a lamb kidney, i / 2 to 2 ounces. Kidneys should have a
good, fresh odor and only the faintest suggestion, if any, of an ammonia smell.
Veal and lamb kidneys should never be washed or soaked in water, as they ab-
sorb too much of it.

* ROGNONS DE VEAU EN CASSEROLE

[Kidneys Cooked in Butter— Mustard and Parsley Sauce]

If you want to serve this as a main course rather than as a hot hors
d’oeuvre, potatoes sauteed in butter and braised onions make good accompani-
ments. Red Burgundy goes especially well with kidneys.

For 4 to 6 people

4 Tb butter Heat the butter in the casserole or chafing dish until

A fireproof casserole or you see the foam begin to subside. Roll the kidneys

418

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

chafing dish which will
just hold the kidneys eas-
ily side by side
3 veal kidneys, peeled and
trimmed of fat
A hot plate and cover

in the butter, then cook them uncovered for about 10
minutes; turn them every minute or two. Regulate
heat so butter is always very hot but is not discoloring.
A little juice from the kidneys will exude and coagu-
late in the bottom of the casserole. The kidneys should
stiffen but not become hard, brown very lightly, and
be pink at the center when sliced. Remove them to a
hot plate and cover to keep warm for a few minutes.

i Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Zz cup dry white wine or
dry vermouth
i Tb lemon juice

Stir the shallots or onions into the butter in the cas-
serole and cook for 1 minute. Then add the wine or
vermouth and lemon juice. Boil, scraping up coagu-
lated cooking juices, until the liquids have reduced
to about 4 tablespoons.

iZz Tb prepared mustard of
the strong Dijon type,
mashed with 3 Tb sof-
tened butter
Salt and pepper

Off heat, swirl the mustard-butter by spoonfuls into
the casserole, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper
3 Tb minced parsley

Rapidly cut the kidneys into crosswise slices ’/8 inch
thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put them
and their juices into the casserole. Sprinkle on the
parsley. Shake and toss them over low heat for a min-
ute or two to warm them through without allowing
the sauce to come near the simmer.

Hot plates

Serve immediately on very hot plates.

VARIATIONS

Rognons de Veau Flambes

[Veal Kidneys Flamed in Brandy— Cream and Mushroom Sauce]

This extremely good combination is one which is often prepared beside
your table in a good restaurant. If you are making it at home in a chafing dish,
have all the sauce ingredients, including the sauteed mushrooms, at hand in
separate containers. Kidneys cooked this way are best as a separate course,
served with hot French bread, and a full, red Burgundy wine.

For 4 to 6 people

KIDNEYS

419

3 veal kidneys, peeled and
trimmed of fat

4 Tb butter

A fireproof casserole or
chafing dish

Cook the kidneys for about 10 minutes in hot butter
as described in the master recipe.

Vi cup cognac
A hot plate and cover

Pour the cognac over the kidneys. Avert your face and
ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake die cas-
serole or chafing dish and baste the kidneys for a few
seconds until the flames have subsided. Remove the
kidneys to a hot plate, and cover them.

54 cup brown sauce, page
66 , or 54 cup canned beef
bouillon mixed with i tsp
cornstarch
!4 cup Madeira

Pour the brown sauce or bouillon and starch, and the
wine into the casserole. Boil for a few minutes until
reduced and thickened.

i cup whipping cream
!4 lb. sliced fresh mush-
rooms sauteed in butter
with i Tb minced shallots

Stir in the cream and mushrooms and boil a few
minutes more. Sauce should be thick enough to coat
the spoon lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

or green onions, page 513
Salt and pepper

!4 Tb prepared mustard of
the strong Dijon type,
blended with 2 Tb sof-
tened butter and 54 tsp
Worcestershire

Off heat, swirl in the mustard-butter.

Salt and pepper
Hot plates

Rapidly cut the kidneys into crosswise slices % inch
thick. Season with salt and pepper, and put them
and their juices into the sauce. Shake and toss the
kidneys over low heat for a moment to reheat them
without bringing the sauce near the simmer. Serve
immediately on hot plates.

Rognons de V eau a

la Bordelaise

[Veal Kidneys in Red Wine Sauce with Marrow]

Sauce a la bordelaise is a reduction of red wine, brown sauce, shallots,
and herbs into which poached marrow is folded just before serving. It goes

420

CHAPTER SEVEN: MEAT

very well with kidneys. With sauteed potatoes and braised onions or buttered
peas, this would make a fine main course served with a red Burgundy wine.

For 4 to 6 people

3 veal kidneys, peeled and
trimmed of fat

4 Tb butter

A fireproof casserole or
chafing dish
A hot plate and cover

Cook the kidneys for about 10 minutes in hot butter
in a casserole or chafing dish as described in the mas-
ter recipe, page 417. Remove them to a hot plate and
cover them.

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Z 2 cup good, young, red
wine such as a Burgundy
or Macon

Big pinch each of thyme,
pepper, and powdered bay
leaf

Stir the shallots or onions into the casserole and cook
for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, add seasonings, and
boil until reduced by half.

i cup brown sauce or i
cup canned beef bouillon,
mixed with i Tb arrow-
root or cornstarch
Salt and pepper

Then pour in the brown sauce or bouillon and starch.
Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly thickened.
Correct seasoning.

Salt and pepper
Zi cup diced beef marrow
softened for 2 to 3 minutes
in hot water, page 19
2 to 3 Tb fresh parsley
Hot plates

Rapidly cut the kidneys into crosswise slices Z 8 inch
thick, and season with salt and pepper. Mix them and
their juices in with the sauce. Fold in the marrow.
Shake and toss for a moment over low heat to reheat
the kidneys without bringing the sauce near the sim-
mer. Sprinkle with parsley and serve on very hot
plates.

CHAPTER EIGHT

VEGETABLES

Legumes

Anyone who has been fortunate enough to eat fresh, home-cooked
vegetables in France remembers them with pleasure. Returning voyagers speak
of them with trembling nostalgia: “Those delicious little green beans! They
even serve them as a separate course. Why I’ll never forget the meal I had
. . . ,” and so forth. Some people are even convinced that it is only in France
that you can enjoy such experiences because French vegetables are somehow
different. Fortunately this is not the case. Any fine, fresh vegetable in season
will taste just as good in America or anywhere else if die French vegetable-
cooking techniques are used.

The French are interested in vegetables as food rather than as purely
nutrient objects valuable for their vitamins and minerals. And it is in the realm
of the green vegetable that French mediods differ most radically from Ameri-
can. The French objective is to produce a cooked green vegetable so green,
fresh-tasting, and full of flavor that it really can be served as a separate course.
They do not hesitate to peel, boil, squeeze, drain, or refresh a vegetable, which
is often upsetting to those very Americans who weep in delighted remembrance
of vegetables in France. For many Americans have been taught that by per-
forming any of diese acts one is wickedly “throwing away the best part.”

BLANCHING

You will note that before anything else in the way of cooking or flavoring
takes place, all the green vegetables in this chapter are blanched— dropped into

I 1

422

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

a very large kettle of rapidly boiling salted water. This is the great secret of
French green-vegetable cookery, and also happens to be the same process used
in America to prepare green vegetables for the freezer. Success is entirely de-
pendent on having a great quantity of boiling water: 7 to 8 quarts for 2 to 3
pounds of vegetables. The more water you use in proportion to your vegeta-
bles, the quicker the water will return to the boil after the vegetables have gone
in, and the greener, fresher, and more full of flavor they will be. Baking soda
is never necessary when you cook green vegetables this way.

REFRESHING

A second important French technique is that of refreshing. As soon as
green vegetables have been blanched, and if they are not to be served imme-
diately or are to be served cold, they are plunged for several minutes into a
large quantity of cold water. This stops the cooking immediately, sets the color,
and preserves the texture and flavor. If the vegetables are not refreshed in this
manner and sit steaming in a saucepan or colander, their collective warmth
softens and discolors them, and they lose their fresh taste. Following the re-
freshing technique, then, you can cook all your green vegetables well in ad-
vance of a party, and have only the final touches left to do at the last minute.

OVERCOOKING

A cardinal point in the French technique is: Do not overcook- An equally
important admonition is: Do not attempt to keep a cooked, green vegetable
warm for more than a very few moments. If you cannot serve it at once, it is
better to set it aside and then to reheat it. Overcooking and keeping hot ruin the
color, texture, and taste of green vegetables — as well as most of the nutritive
qualities.

SCOPE OF VEGETABLE CHAPTER

This chapter does not pretend to offer a complete treatise on vegetables.
The French repertoire is so large that we have felt it best to go into more de-
tail on a selection than to give tidbits on all. Most of our emphasis is on green
vegetables. There is a modest but out-of-the-ordinary section on potatoes. Other
vegetables rate only one or two recipes — but good ones — and some we have not
mentioned at all.

ARTICHOKES

423

GREEN VEGETABLES

ARTICHOKES

Artichauts

French or globe artichokes are in season from October to June. April and
May are the peak months when their prices are most attractive. A fresh, de-

Coo\ed Artichoke Filled
with Hollandaise Sauce

sirable artichoke is heavy and compact, with fleshy, closely clinging leaves of
a good, green color all the way to the tips. The stem is also fresh and green.

As baby artichokes are not generally available in this country, all the
following recipes are based on the large, 10- to 12-ounce artichoke which is
about 4 Zi inches high and 4 to 4% inches at its largest diameter.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Hot or cold boded artichokes are served as a separate course, either at
the beginning of the meal or in place of a salad. Most wine authorities agree
that water should be served with them rather than wine, for wine changes its
character when drunk with this vegetable. But, if you insist, serve a strong,
dry, chilled white wine such as a Macon, or a chilled and characterful rose
such as a Tavel.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING
One at a time, prepare the artichokes as follows:

Remove the stem by bending it at the base of the artichoke until it snaps
off, thus detaching with the stem any tough filaments which may have pushed
up into the heart.

424

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Sectional View of
Artichoke

Break off the small leaves at the base of the artichoke. Trim the base
with a knife so the artichoke will stand solidly upright.

Lay the artichoke on its side and slice three quarters of an inch off the
top of the center cone of leaves. Trim off the points of the rest of the leaves
with scissors. Wash under cold running water.

Trim off ends of leaves
with scissors

Rub die cut portions of the artichoke with lemon juice. Drop it into a
basin of cold water containing x tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water. The
acid prevents the artichoke from discoloring.

* ART1CHAUTS AU NATUREL

[Whole Boiled Artichokes— Hot or Cold]

Artichokes should be boiled in a large kettle so that they have plenty of
room. It is not necessary to tie the leaves in place. Because they must cook a
comparatively long time, artichokes turn an olive green. Any Frenchman

ARTICHOKES

425

would look with disfavor on a bright green boiled artichoke, knowing that
baking soda had been added to the water.

6 artichokes prepared for
cooking as in the preced-
ing directions

A large kettle containing 7
to 8 quarts of rapidly
boiling water

1 14 tsp salt per quart of
water

Washed cheesecloth

Drop the prepared artichokes in the boiling salted
water. To help prevent discoloration, lay over the
artichokes a double thickness of cheesecloth; this
will keep their exposed tops moist. Bring the water
back to the boil as rapidly as possible and boil slowly,
uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes. The artichokes are
done when the leaves pull out easily and the bottoms
are tender when pierced with a knife.

A skimmer or slotted spoon
A colander

Immediately remove them from the kettle with skim-
mer or spoon and drain them upside down in a
colander.

Boiled artichokes may be served hot, warm, or cold.

HOW TO EAT AN ARTICHOKE

If you have never eaten an artichoke before, here is how you go about it.
Pull off a leaf and hold its tip in your fingers. Dip the bottom of the leaf in
melted butter or one of the sauces suggested farther on. Then scrape off its
tender flesh between your teeth. When you have gone through all the leaves,
you will come to the heart, which you eat with a knife and fork after you have
scraped off and discarded the choke or hairy center growth.

TO REMOVE THE CHOKE BEFORE SERVING

It is not necessary to remove the choke, but it makes a nicer presentation
if you wish to take the time. To do so, gently spread die leaves apart enough
so you can reach into the interior of the artichoke. Pull out the tender center
cone of leaves in one piece. Down in the center of the artichoke, at the point
where you removed the cone of leaves, is the choke or hairy growth which
covers the top of the heart. Scrape off and remove the choke with a spoon to
expose the tender flesh of the artichoke heart. Sprinkle salt and pepper over
the heart. Turn the cone of leaves upside down and set it in die hollow formed
by the top of the artichoke.

426

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Sauces for Hot or Warm Artichokes

Beurre Fondu, melted butter

Beurre au Citron, lemon butter sauce, page 98

Sauce Hollandaise, page 79. If you have removed the choke, you may
wish to spread the leaves apart enough to expose the heart, then heap 3 or 4
spoonfuls of the hollandaise into it, and top with a sprig of parsley.

Sauces for Cold Artichokes

Vinaigrette, French dressing, page 94

Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, capers, and onions, page 95

Sauce Moutarde, mustard sauce with olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs,
page 95

Sauce Alsacienne, soft-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs, page 93

Mayonnaise, page 86

* ARTICHAUTS BRAISES A LA PROVEN^ ALE

[Artichokes Braised with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs]

Most of the many recipes for braised artichokes follow the general lines
of this one. You may, if you wish, add to the casserole a cup of diced tomato
pulp, or / cup of diced ham, and, 10 minutes before the end of the cooking,
i/ 2 pound of sauteed mushrooms. Another suggestion with different vegetables
follows this recipe. Braised artichokes go well with roast or braised meats, or
they can constitute a first course. As they are rather messy to eat with the fin-
gers, guests should be furnished with a spoon as well as a knife and fork, so
the flesh may be scraped off the artichoke leaves.

For 6 to 8 people

6 large artichokes
A large kettle containing 7
to 8 quarts of rapidly boil-
ing water

1 Vi tsp salt per quart of
water

Prepare the artichokes for cooking as directed at the
beginning of this section, but cut off the leaves so that
the artichokes are only about i'/ 2 inches long. Then
slice the artichokes into lengthwise quarters and cut
out the chokes. Drop the quarters in boiling water and
boil for 10 minutes only. Drain.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

ARTICHOKES

427

1 cup (4 ounces) diced on-
ions

6 Tb olive oil

A 10- to 11-inch covered
fireproof casserole large
enough to hold the arti-
chokes in one layer

2 large cloves minced garlic

Salt and pepper

V4 cup wine vinegar

Z2 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth

1V2 cups stock, canned beef
bouillon, or water

An herb bouquet: 4 parsley
sprigs, / 2 bay leaf, and !4
tsp thyme tied in cheese-
cloth

A round of waxed paper

Cook the onions slowly in olive oil in the casserole for
5 minutes without letting the onions color. Stir in the
garlic. Arrange the artichoke quarters in the casserole.
Baste with the olive oil and onions. Sprinkle on salt
and pepper. Cover casserole and cook slowly over low
heat for 10 minutes, not allowing artichokes to brown.

Pour in the vinegar and wine. Raise heat and boil un-
til liquid is reduced by half. Then pour in the stock,
bouillon, or water. Add the herb bouquet. Bring
to the simmer, then lay the waxed paper over the
artichokes. Cover casserole and place it in the middle
level of the preheated oven. Casserole should simmer
slowly for 1 Z4 to 1 Zi hours, or until liquid has almost
entirely evaporated.

(*) If not to be served immediately, set casserole
aside, its cover askew. Reheat when needed.

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley Discard herb bouquet. Serve from casserole or on a

warm serving dish. (The artichokes may be sur-
rounded with baked tomatoes and sauteed potatoes.)
Sprinkle with parsley before bringing to the table.

VARIATION

Artichaiits Printaniers

[Artichokes Braised with Carrots, Onions, Turnips, and Mushrooms]

Except for the addition of other vegetables, this recipe is the same as the
master recipe. You may wish to use butter instead of olive oil, cut down on
the garlic, and omit all or part of the vinegar, increasing the wine accordingly.

Ingredients for the preced-
ing braised artichokes, in-
cluding diced onions, oil
(or butter), wine, stock,
and seasonings

Following the preceding recipe, quarter and blanch
the artichokes, and cook the diced onions in the olive
oil (or butter). Then add the artichokes and place
the whole onions and the other vegetables around the
edge of the casserole. Baste with the diced onions and

428

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

12 small white onions, about oil (or butter), and season with salt and pepper. Pro-
1 inch in diameter, peeled ceed with the recipe.

3 or 4 carrots, peeled, quar-
tered and cut into x 54 -inch
lengths

3 or 4 white turnips, peeled
and quartered

12 to 18 mushroom caps
lightly sauteed in olive oil
or butter

About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking, add
the mushroom caps. Finish the sauce and serve the
casserole as in the preceding recipe.

ARTICHOKE HEARTS OR BOTTOMS

Fonds d’ Artichauts

An artichoke heart is the tender, meaty, bottom of the artichoke; all the
leaves and the choke have been removed. The heart is even more of a delicacy
in this country, owing to the price of artichokes, than it is in France. Artichoke
hearts are delicious braised in butter or served with a sauce. Or they may be
filled with mushrooms or other vegetables and served as a garniture or a first
course. Topped with poached eggs they make a good entree. Artichoke hearts
are also eaten cold filled with shellfish and mayonnaise or a la Grecque. Their
preparation is rather exacting; the lower leaves must be broken off from the
artichoke bottom in such a way as to lose as little of the meat as possible. Then
the heart is trimmed and given a preliminary cooking in a blanc to preserve
its whiteness. But all of this may be done a day or two before serving.

HOW TO PREPARE ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Choose the largest artichokes you can find. Ideally they should be 4%
inches in diameter, which will do for one serving. Otherwise, allow two per
person. Prepare them one at a time.

Break the stem off close to the base of the artichoke. Holding the arti-
choke bottom up, bend a lower leaf back on itself until it snaps, then pull it
off. Continue all around the artichoke until you have gone beyond the curve
of the heart, and the leaf structure folds inward.

Slice off the rest of the leaves just over the top of the heart. Immediately
rub cut parts with lemon juice. The choke and leaf ends are removed after
cooking.

29

430

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Holding the heart bottom up, rotate it slowly with your left hand against
the blade of a knife held firmly in your right hand, to remove all bits of green
and to expose the whitish surface of the heart. Frequently rub the cut portions
with lemon juice. Drop each heart as it is finished into acidulated water.

Trimmed heart ready to
cook.; choke is removed
after cooking

PONDS D’ARTICHAUTS A BLANC

[Cooked Artichoke Hearts— Preliminary Cooking]

A blanc is a solution of salted water with lemon juice and flour. It is used
for the preliminary cooking of any food which discolors easily, such as arti-
choke hearts, salsify, calf’s head. Flour and lemon juice blanch the food and
keep its whiteness.

Never cook artichoke hearts in anything but enamel, pyrex, stainless steel,
or earthenware. Aluminum or iron pans will give them a grayish color.

For 6 to 8 large artichoke hearts

% cup flour Put the flour in the saucepan and beat in a bit of cold

An enameled saucepan water to make a smooth paste. Then beat in the rest

A wire whip of the water, the lemon juice, and the salt. Bring to

x quart cold water the boil and simmer 5 minutes.

2 Tb lemon juice
i'/2 tsp salt

Add the artichoke hearts. Bring liquid again to the boil, then simmer 30 to 40 min-
utes or so until the hearts are tender when pierced with a knife. Be sure they are
completely covered with liquid at all times. Add more water if necessary.

Allow them to cool in their liquid. If they are to be refrigerated for a day or two,
film the top of the liquid with oil.

Cooked Artichoke Heart,
Choke Removed

ARTICHOKES

431

Just before using the hearts, remove them from the liquid and wash them under cold
water. Delicately remove the choke with a spoon and trim off the remaining leaf ends.

* FONDS D’ARTICHAUTS AU BEURRE

[Buttered Artichoke Hearts, Whole]

This is the method for heating cooked artichoke hearts which are to be
filled with hot vegetables, poached eggs, bSarnaise sauce, truffles, or whatever
is called for.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

6 cooked artichoke hearts
(see preceding recipe)

Salt and white pepper

4 Tb butter

A covered fireproof casse-
role (enameled, pyrex, or
stainless steel) just large
enough to hold the hearts
in one layer

A round of buttered waxed
paper

The artichoke hearts are now ready to receive any
filling your recipe directs.

Season the artichoke hearts with salt and pepper. Heat
the butter in the casserole until it is bubbling. Re-
move from heat. Baste each heart with butter as you
place it upside down (to keep center moist) in the
casserole. Lay the buttered paper over the artichoke
hearts. Reheat the casserole, then place it in the middle
level of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or
until the hearts are well heated through. Do not over-
cook.

VARIATIONS

Quartiers de Bonds d’ Artichauts au Beurre

[Buttered Artichoke Hearts, Quartered]

Tins is basically the same as the preceding recipe, except that the arti-
choke hearts are cut into quarters, and shallots or onions are included with
the butter. Use quartered artichokes as a vegetable garnish or combine them
with other vegetables such as braised carrots and onions, or sauteed mushrooms.
The artichoke hearts go will with veal, chicken, and egg dishes.

6 cooked artichoke hearts, Cut the artichoke hearts in quarters, and preheat oven
page 430 to 325 degrees.

432

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

4 Tb butter

A 6-cup, enameled casserole
2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
Salt and pepper
A round of waxed paper,
buttered

2 Tb minced parsley

Melt the butter in the casserole. Stir in the shallots or
onions, then fold in the artichokes. Season with salt
and pepper, and lay over them the round of buttered
paper. Cover the casserole and bake in middle level
of preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the
vegetables are well steeped in the butter. Do not over-
cook. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

(*) May be cooked in advance.

Fonds d’Artichauts Mirepoix

[Buttered Artichoke Hearts with Diced Vegetables]

This is particularly good if the artichoke hearts are to be served as a sepa-
rate vegetable.

3 Tb each: finely diced car-
rots, onions, and celery
2 Tb finely diced, lean,
boiled ham

Ingredients for the preced-
ing buttered artichoke
hearts

Cook the carrots, onions, celery, and ham for 8 to 10
minutes in the butter called for in the preceding
recipe. When the vegetables are tender but not
browned, add the rest of the ingredients listed, and
proceed with the recipe.

Fonds d’Artichauts d la Creme

[Creamed Artichoke Hearts]

Serve creamed artichoke hearts with roast veal or chicken, or sauteed
brains or sweetbreads. They also go with omelettes.

Ingredients for 6 quartered
artichoke hearts cooked as
in either of the two pre-
ceding variations

1Z2 cups whipping cream

Salt and pepper

1 tsp lemon juice, more if
needed

A hot vegetable dish

2 Tb minced parsley

While the artichoke hearts are cooking as directed in
either of the two preceding recipes, boil the cream in
a small saucepan until it has reduced by half. Season
to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. When the
artichokes are done, fold the hot cream into them.
Simmer for a moment on top of the stove to blend
flavors. Turn into a hot vegetable dish and sprinkle
with parsley.

ARTICHOKES

433

Fonds d’Artichauts Mornay

[Artichoke Hearts Gratineed with Cheese Sauce]

Serve gratineed artichoke hearts with roast chicken or veal, sauteed
chicken, veal scallops, or liver. Or you could use them as a hot first course
or luncheon dish; in this case, you might fold into the artichoke hearts before
saucing them i cup of sauteed mushrooms, diced boiled ham, or diced cooked
chicken.

Ingredients for 6 buttered
artichoke hearts, quar-
tered, page 431
1^2 cups sauce mornay
(bechamel with cheese),
page 61

A lightly buttered baking
dish about 8 inches in di-
ameter and 2 inches deep
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter

While the artichoke hearts are cooking, make the
sauce mornay. When the artichokes are done, spread
one third of the sauce in the dish and arrange the
artichoke hearts over it. Pour on the rest of the sauce,
sprinkle on the cheese, and dot with butter.

About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third
of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thor-
oughly and brown the top of the sauce lightly. Serve
as soon as possible.

FONDS D’ARTICHAUTS AU GRATIN

[Stuffed Artichoke Hearts au Gratin \

Stuffed artichoke hearts make an attractive hot first course or luncheon

dish.

For 6 people

6 large artichoke hearts
cooked in a blanc, page
430

A buttered baking dish
1 to 1V2 cups of one of the
creamed fillings on pages
201 to 203, such as ham,

Arrange the cooked artichoke hearts in the baking
dish. Place several spoonfuls of the filling in each,
heaping it into a slight dome. Sprinkle with cheese
and dot with butter. About 20 minutes before serving,
bake in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven
until thoroughly warmed through and the cheese has
browned lightly.

434

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

chicken, mushrooms or
shellfish

14 cup grated Swiss cheese
i/z Tb butter

FROZEN ARTICHOKE HEARTS

These usually come in io-ounce packages and are baby, halved hearts
with the tender center leaves still attached. We find it to be more satisfactory
if you allow the vegetables to thaw enough so they can be detached from each
other. They will then cook more evenly.

For 6 servings

1 cup chicken stock, canned
chicken broth, half mush-
room broth and half wa-
ter, or water only

z Tb minced shallots or
green onions (or 2 Tb
each: finely diced onions,
celery, carrots, and ham,
previously cooked until
tender in the butter)

2 Tb butter

/a tsp salt

An 8-inch enameled sauce-
pan or skillet

2 packages frozen artichoke
hearts, partially thawed
(10 ounces each)

Bring the liquid, shallots or onions, butter, and salt
to the boil in an enameled saucepan. Add the partially
thawed artichoke hearts. Cover saucepan and bring
to the boil. Boil slowly for 7 to 10 minutes, or until
artichoke hearts are tender. Uncover, raise heat, and
boil off any remaining liquid.

Serve them sprinkled with parsley, or in the cream
sauce or cheese sauce described in the previous reci-
pes. Or you may combine them with other cooked
vegetables such as sauteed mushrooms or glazed car-
rots and onions.

ASPARAGUS

Asperges

Cooked green asparagus should be tender yet not limp, and a fresh, beau-
tiful green. Fresh white asparagus, so prevalent in Europe, is rarely seen in

ASPARAGUS

435

this country, but it is prepared and cooked in the same way as green asparagus.
The French method of cooking asparagus is to peel it, tie it in bundles, plunge
it into a very large kettle of rapidly boiling, salted water, boil it slowly until it
is just tender; and to drain it immediately. Peeled asparagus cooks more quickly
than unpeeled asparagus, retains its color and texture, and can be eaten usually
all the way down to the butt. We have tested every asparagus cooking method
we have heard of— peeled, unpeeled, boiled butts, steamed tips— and can say
categorically that the freshest, greenest, and most appetizing asparagus is
cooked by the French method.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Whole boiled asparagus, hot or cold, is served as a separate vegetable
course either at the beginning of the meal, or in place of a salad. With hot
asparagus serve a not too dry, chilled white wine such as a Graves, Barsac,
Pouilly-Fume, or Vouvray. No wine should accompany cold asparagus with a
vinegar-based sauce, as the vinegar will spoil the taste of the wine.

CHOOSING ASPARAGUS

Select firm, crisp, stalks, moist at the cut end, and with tips which are
compact and closed. Fat spears are just as tender as thin spears; as long as the
asparagus must be peeled, the fat ones are easier to handle and less wasteful.
Loose asparagus is preferable to asparagus in bundles, since you may examine
each spear and choose ones all of a size. Plan on 6 to io fat spears per person,
depending on your menu.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

You will find that a vegetable peeler is not useful for this operation
because it does not go deep enough. Asparagus is peeled not just to remove the
skin, but to shave off enough of the tough outer flesh (particularly around the
lower part of the spear) to make just about the whole cooked spear edible.
Peeling is therefore economical.

Hold an asparagus spear with its butt end up. Peel off the outer skin
with a sharp, small knife, going as deep as Vic, of an inch at the butt in order
to expose the tender, moist flesh. Gradually make the cut shallower until you
come up to the tender green portion near the tip. Shave off any scales which
cling to the spear below the tip. Wash the peeled asparagus spears in a large
basin of cold water. Drain.

Line up the tips evenly and tie the asparagus in bundles about 3 1 /, inches

436

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

in diameter, one string near the tip, one near the butt. Leave one spear loose
to be used as a cooking test later. Cut a bit off the butts if necessary, to make
the spears all the same length.

If not cooked immediately, set bunches upright in / 2 inches of cold water.
Cover the asparagus with a plastic bag and refrigerate.

* ASPERGES AU NATUREL

[Boiled Asparagus— Hot or Cold]

A large kettle or oval casse- Kettle must be wide enough to hold the asparagus

ASPARAGUS

437

role containing 7 to 8
quarts rapidly boiling wa-
ter (for 4 to 6 bundles
of prepared asparagus
spears)

i’/2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

bunches horizontally. Lay the asparagus bundles in
the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring water to boil
again as quickly as possible. When boil is reached,
reduce heat and boil slowly, uncovered, for 12 to 15
minutes. The asparagus is done when a knife pierces
the butt-end easily. The spears should bend a little,
but should not be limp and droopy. Eat the loose
spear as a test for doneness.

A serving platter covered
with a folded white nap-
kin (to absorb the aspara-
gus liquid)

As soon as the asparagus is tender, lift it out of the
water bundle by bundle with 2 forks, one slipped un-
der each round of string. Hold up for a few seconds
to drain, then place the bundle carefully on the nap-
kin. Cut and remove the strings. Proceed quickly to
the next bundle.

If the asparagus is not to be served immediately, it
will keep warm for 20 to 30 minutes covered with a
napkin. Set the platter on top of the kettle of hot
asparagus cooking water. The asparagus will lose a
bit of its texture as it waits because it will continue to
exude moisture, but it will retain its taste and color.

Sauces to Serve with Hot Asparagus
Allow 3 to 4 tablespoons of sauce per person.

Sauce Hollandaise, page 79. You may beat 3 or 4 tablespoons of pureed
cooked asparagus spears into the hollandaise if you wish.

Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream, page 83
Sauce Maltaise, hollandaise with orange flavoring, delicious with aspara-
gus, and makes a nice change, page 83

Sauce Creme, bechamel with cream and lemon juice, page 59
Beurre au Citron, lemon butter sauce, page 98

COLD ASPARAGUS

To serve cold asparagus, spread the cooked spears in one layer on a double
thickness of clean toweling so the asparagus will cool rapidly. When thoroughly
cold, arrange on a serving dish.

438

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Sauces to Serve ivith Cold Asparagus

Allow 2 to 4 tablespoons of sauce per person.

Sauce Vinaigrette, French dressing, with herbs and mustard, page 94
Sauce Vinaigrette a la Crime, vinaigrette with cream and herbs, page 95
Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, shallots, and capers, page 95
Sauce Moutarde, mustard sauce with herbs, page 95
Sauce Alsacienne, soft-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs, page 93
Mayonnaise, page 86. 2 to 3 tablespoons of green herbs, or 4 to 6 table-
spoons of pureed cooked asparagus spears may be stirred into the mayonnaise
if you wish.

ASPARAGUS TIPS

Point es d’ Asp erges

Asparagus tips are the part of the spear from the tip as far down as the
asparagus is green and still tender. Asparagus tips are served as a separate
vegetable or as part of a vegetable garnish and go well with chicken breasts,
veal scallops, brains, sweetbreads, scrambled eggs, and omelettes. They are also
used in a sauce to fill tarts, tartlets, or artichoke hearts, or can be served as a
cold vegetable or as part of a vegetable salad.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Choose thin asparagus spears / to % of an inch in diameter. Hold each
by its butt end and, moving your fingers up toward the tip, bend the spear
until it snaps in two, usually at about the halfway point. (Set the butt ends
aside; they may be peeled and cooked, and are good for soups or purees.)
Scrape off all the scales below the tip and wash the asparagus. Cut the tips off
so each is i '/ 2 inches long and tie in bundles about 2 inches in diameter. Dice
the remaining stalks.

* POINTES D’ASPERGES AU BEURRE

[Buttered Asparagus Tips J

For 4 to 6 people as a vegetable garnish

ASPARAGUS

439

Blanching

2 lbs. asparagus tips pre-
pared as directed in pre-
ceding paragraph

6 quarts rapidly boiling wa-
ter

3 Tb salt

Drop the diced asparagus stalks in the boiling salted
water and boil 5 minutes. Then add the asparagus
bundles and boil slowly for 5 to 8 minutes more, or
until just tender. Remove bundles carefully and drain;
drain the diced stalks.

( # ) If you are cooking the asparagus in advance or
wish to serve it cold, plunge for a minute or two in
cold water to stop the cooking and set the color.
Drain.

Braising in butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A covered baking dish or
fireproof baking and serv-
ing dish

1 Tb softened butter
Salt and pepper
4 Tb melted butter
A round of waxed paper

Smear the baking dish with softened butter. Arrange
the diced asparagus stalks in the bottom; season with
salt, pepper, and part of the melted butter. Remove
strings and arrange the asparagus tips over the stalks.
Season with salt, pepper, and butter, and lay the
waxed paper on top. Heat for a moment on top of
the stove; cover the casserole and place in middle level
of oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until asparagus is hot
through. Serve immediately.

VARIATION: SAUCES

Sauces for hot and cold asparagus are listed on pages 437-8. If you are serv-
ing a hot sauce, you may wish only to blanch the asparagus tips and omit the
braising-in-butter step in the preceding recipe.

FROZEN ASPARAGUS

Frozen asparagus will always be limp however you cook it; the following
method is as good as any we have found. Allow the asparagus to thaw partially
before cooking so the spears can be separated and will cook more evenly. If
you are doing more than two boxes at a time, use two wide saucepans in order
that the cooking water will boil away by the time die asparagus is done.

440

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

For each io-ounce box of
frozen asparagus, partially
thawed:

!4 cup water
Vs tsp salt
1 Tb butter

A wide enameled saucepan
or skillet
A cover

Pinch of pepper
More salt, if needed
A hot vegetable dish
Melted butter or one of the
sauces listed on page 437

Bring the water, salt, and butter to the boil in the
saucepan or skillet. Add the asparagus, cover, and boil
slowly for 5 to 8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
Remove cover, raise heat, and quickly boil off any
remaining liquid. Correct seasoning. Arrange in vege-
table dish, pour on sauce or pass it separately, and
serve as soon as possible.

TIMBALE D’ASPERGES

[Asparagus Mold]

This asparagus custard is served unmolded as a first course or luncheon
dish, or may be served with roast or sauteed veal or chicken. The custard mix-
ture may be prepared hours in advance of cooking, and the cooked mold may
be kept warm for a considerable time or reheated. You can mold the custard
in individual cups if you wish.

NOTE: Chopped, cooked Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or
pureed green peas may be cooked in the same way; substitute 2*4 to 3 cups of
any of these vegetables for the asparagus.

For 6 people

Flavorless salad oil Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil the mold. Roll bread

A 6-cup souffle mold crumbs in it to cover the entire inner surface. Knock

54 cup stale, white bread out excess crumbs,
crumbs

Zi cup finely minced onions
1 Tb butter

Cook the onions slowly in butter for about 10 min-
utes in a covered saucepan, not allowing them to
color.

A 3-quart mixing bowl
Big pinch of white pepper

Scrape the onions into the mixing bowl. Stir in the
seasonings, cheese, and bread crumbs. Beat in the

ASPARAGUS

441

'/4 tsp salt eggs. In a thin stream of droplets, beat in the hot milk

Pinch of nutmeg and butter.

Z2 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 A cup stale, white bread
crumbs
5 eggs

1 cup milk brought to the
boil with 4 Tb butter

3 lbs. boiled, fresh aspara-
gus, or 3 cups cooked fro-
zen asparagus, or canned
asparagus
Salt and pepper

Cut the tender portion of the asparagus spears into
14 -inch pieces. Fold the asparagus into the custard
mixture. Correct seasoning.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point.

A pan of boiling water large Turn the custard into the prepared mold and set mold

enough to hold the mold in a pan of boiling water. Place in lower third of pre-

easi 'y heated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, regulating

heat so water remains just below the simmer. Custard
is done when a knife, plunged through the center,
comes out clean.

A warm serving platter Remove mold from water and allow to settle for 5

minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the custard
and reverse on a warm serving platter. Surround with
one of the sauces listed, and serve.

( # ) If custard is not served immediately, do not un-
mold it, but leave in its pan of hot water, reheating
the water from time to time, if necessary. Unmold
when you are ready to serve.

Sauces for Asparagus Mold

Prepare 2/2 to 3 cups of one of the following:

Sauce Chivry, bechamel with cream and green herbs, page 62
Sauce Mornay, bechamel with cheese, page 61
Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream, page 83

442

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

GREEN BEANS

Haricots Verts

Green beans, snap beans, string beans, or whatever you wish to call them,
are of many varieties: some are flat, others are round, still others are a mottled
green rather than a uniform color. Most of those on the market today are string-
less. Whichever you buy, look for beans which are clean, fresh-looking, firm,
and which snap crisply and contain immature seeds. If possible, select beans
all of the same circumference so they will cook evenly. The smaller around
they are, the more they will approach tiny French beans; a diameter of not
more than / inch is most desirable.

Fresh beans take time to prepare for cooking, but have so much more
flavor than frozen beans that they are well worth the trouble. The cooking
itself is easy; however, beans demand attention if they are to be fresh-tasting,
full of flavor, and green. Although their preliminary blanching may be taken
care of hours in advance, the final touches should be done only at die last min-
ute. It is fatal to their color, texture, and taste if they are overcooked, or if they
are allowed to sit around over heat for more than a few minutes after they are
ready to be eaten.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Green beans will go with just about any meat dish, or may constitute a
separate vegetable course.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of beans will serve 2 or 3 people depending on your menu.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Snap the tip of one end of a bean with your fingers and draw it down
the length of one side of the bean to remove any possible string. Do the same
thing with the other end, pulling it down the other side of the bean.

Beans of not much more than % inch in diameter are cooked whole, and
retain their maximum flavor. If they are large in circumference, you may slice
them on the bias to make several 2‘/2-inch lengths per bean; this or machine
slicing is usually called Frenched beans though it is rarely done in France as
it is seldom necessary. Sliced beans never have the flavor of whole beans.

GREEN BEANS

443

HARICOTS VERTS BLANCH IS

[Blanched Green Beans — Preliminary Cooking]

Whatever recipe you choose for your beans, always give them a prelimi-
nary blanching in a very large kettle of rapidly boiling salted water. Depending
on what you plan to do to them later, boil them either until tender or until
almost tender, and drain immediately. This essential step in the French art of
bean cookery always produces a fine, fresh, green bean of perfect texture and
flavor.

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. green beans, trimmed
and washed

A large kettle containing at
least 7 to 8 quarts of rap-
idly boiling water
i'/2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

A handful at a time, drop the beans into the rapidly
boiling salted water. Bring the water back to the boil
as quickly as possible, and boil the beans slowly, un-
covered, for io to 15 minutes; test the beans frequently
after 8 minutes by eating one. A well cooked bean
should be tender, but still retain the slightest sugges-
tion of crunchiness. Drain the beans as soon as they
are done.

For Immediate Serving

Turn the beans into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and toss them
gently over moderately high heat by flipping the pan, not by stirring them.
This will evaporate their moisture in 2 to 3 minutes. Then proceed with one
of the following recipes.

For Later Serving or to Serve Cold

Run cold water over the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. This will stop the cook-
ing immediately and the beans will retain color, taste, and texture. Drain,
spread them out on a clean towel, and pat dry. The beans may then be set
aside in a colander, or put in a covered bowl in the refrigerator where they will
keep perfectly for 24 hours.

To Reheat: Depending on your recipe, either drop the beans in a large
kettle of rapidly boiling, salted water, bring quickly again to the boil, then
drain immediately. Or toss the beans in a tablespoon or two of hot butter or
oil, season them, cover the pan, and let them warm thoroughly for 3 to 4 min-
utes over moderate heat. Then proceed with your recipe.

444

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

TWO RECIPES FOR BUTTERED GREEN BEANS

Buttered green beans go with almost anything, and particularly roast or
broiled lamb, beef, chicken, veal, and liver. They may also be served as a sepa-
rate course.

Haricots Verts a l’ Anglais e

[Buttered Green Beans I]

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. hot, blanched green
beans (preceding recipe)

A wide, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan or
skillet

Salt and pepper

A hot serving dish

4 to 8 Tb butter, cut into
pieces or formed into
shells

Toss the hot beans in the saucepan or skillet over
moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Toss
briefly again with salt and pepper to taste. Turn them
into the serving dish, distribute the butter over them,
and serve at once.

Haricots Verts a la Maitre d’ Hotel

[Buttered Green Beans II -with Lemon Juice and Parsley]

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. hot, blanched green
beans (preceding master
recipe)

A wide, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan or
skillet

Salt and pepper

6 to 8 Tb softened butter
cut into 4 pieces

2 to 3 tsp lemon juice

A hot vegetable dish

3 Tb minced parsley

Toss the hot beans in the saucepan or skillet over
moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture.
Toss briefly again with salt, pepper and a piece of
butter. Add the rest of the butter gradually while
tossing the beans; alternate with drops of lemon juice.
Taste for seasoning. Turn into the vegetable dish,
sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

GREEN BEANS

445

TWO RECIPES FOR GREEN BEANS IN CREAM

Serve creamed green beans with plain roast lamb, veal, or chicken, broiled
or sauteed chicken, lamb chops, sauteed liver, or veal chops or scallops.

Haricots Verts d la Creme

[Creamed Green Beans I]

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. green beans, trimmed
and washed

A wide, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan or
skillet

Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb softened butter
2 cups whipping cream
A lid for the pan

Blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling
salted water as described on page 443, but drain them
3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss the beans
in the pan over moderately high heat to evaporate
their moisture. Then toss with the salt, pepper, and
butter. Pour in the cream, cover the pan, and boil
slowly for 5 minutes or so, until beans are tender and
cream has reduced by half. Correct seasoning.

A hot vegetable dish Turn into hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with herbs,

3 Tb fresh minced savory, and serve at once,
tarragon, or parsley

Haricots Verts, Sauce Creme

[Creamed Green Beans II]

This is less rich than the pure cream treatment in the preceding recipe.
For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. green beans, trimmed
and washed

A wide, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan or
skillet

Blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling salted wa-
ter as described on page 443, but drain them 3 to 4
minutes before they are tender. Toss the beans in the
pan over moderately high heat to evaporate their
moisture.

Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb softened butter
3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
A lid for the pan

Then toss them with the seasonings, butter, and
minced shallots or onions. Cover the pan and let them
cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes.

446

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

3 cups boiling sauce crime,
(bechamel with cream),
page 59

Salt and pepper
A hot vegetable dish
3 Tb fresh minced savory,
tarragon, or parsley

Delicately fold the hot sauce into the beans. Cover
pan and simmer slowly again for 3 to 4 minutes, or
until beans are tender. Correct seasoning. Turn into
a hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with herbs, and serve
at once.

A GOOD ADDITION

Vi to i lb. sliced mushrooms
sauteed in butter

Fold the sauteed mushrooms into the beans with the
sauce.

HARICOTS VERTS G RATINES, A LA MORNAY

[Green Beans Gratineed with Cheese Sauce]

This is a good method for ahead-of-time preparation. Serve with the same
meats suggested in the preceding recipes for green beans in cream.

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. green beans, trimmed
and washed

Blanch the beans as described on page 443 until they
are just tender. Drain, refresh in cold water, and dry
in a towel.

3 cups sauce mornay (be-
chamel with cheese), page
61

A lightly buttered baking
dish

Salt and pepper to taste
Zs cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Spread a third of the sauce in the baking dish. Season
the beans and arrange them over the sauce. Pour on
the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, dot with
butter, and set aside uncovered.

Half an hour before serving time, bake in upper third
of a preheated 375-degree oven until beans are well
heated through and the sauce has browned lightly on
top.

GREEN BEANS

447

HARICOTS VERTS A LA PROVENCALE

[Green Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs]

These full-flavored beans go wonderfully with roast lamb or beef, steaks,
chops, or broiled chicken. Tossed with diced, sauteed ham, they can serve as
a main-course luncheon or supper dish. Frozen beans react nicely to this treat-
ment.

For 6 to 8 servings

2 cups thinly sliced onions
V2 cup olive oil
An enameled saucepan or
skillet large enough to
hold the beans

Cook the onions slowly in the olive oil until they are
tender and translucent but not browned, about 10
minutes.

4 to 6 large, firm, ripe, red
tomatoes peeled, seeded,
juiced, and chopped, page
5<>5

2 to 4 cloves mashed garlic

A medium herb bouquet
with cloves: 4 parsley
sprigs, V2 bay leaf, V2 tsp
thyme, and 2 cloves tied
in cheesecloth

% cup liquid: juice from the
tomatoes plus water or
water only

Salt and pepper to taste

3 lbs. green beans

OR 3 boxes partially de-
frosted cut green beans
added directly to the
cooked tomato mixture
Salt and pepper
V4 cup chopped parsley, or
a mixture of green herbs
such as basil, savory, and
tarragon plus parsley

Add the ingredients at the left, and simmer for 30
minutes. Then remove the herb bouquet.

While the tomatoes are cooking, blanch the beans in
7 to 8 quarts of boiling salted water as described on
page 443, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they
are tender. Toss them in the pan with the onions and
tomatoes. Cover and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 min-
utes, tossing occasionally, until they are tender. Most
of the liquid should have evaporated by this time; if
not, uncover, raise heat, and boil it off rapidly, tossing
the beans. Correct seasoning, toss in the herbs, and
serve.

448

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

WAX OR YELLOW POD BEANS

Haricots Mange-tout — Haricots Beurre

Wax beans are trimmed and blanched in the same manner as green beans,
and may be substituted for green beans in any of the preceding recipes. Here
is a special recipe for large wax beans.

HARICOTS MANGE-TOUT A L’ETUVEE

[Wax Beans Braised with Onions, Lettuce, and Cream]

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. large but tender wax
beans

2 Tb softened butter
A covered fireproof casse-
role or baking dish
1V2 cups diced onions
1 tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper

1 medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, V2 bay leaf,
and !4 tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

2 heads of Boston lettuce,
shredded

8 Tb (>/4 lb.) butter
1Z2 cups chicken stock or
canned chicken broth
A round of waxed paper

2 cups light cream
Salt and pepper

3 Tb minced fresh savory,
basil, tarragon, or parsley

Trim and wash the beans according to directions on
page 442, being sure all strings have been removed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the casserole or baking dish heavily. Spread
the onions in the bottom, arrange the beans over
them, and season with salt and pepper. Bury the herb
bouquet in their midst. Distribute the lettuce over the
beans. Sliver the rest of the butter over the lettuce.
Pour in the stock or broth. Set casserole over heat and
bring liquid to the simmer. Place the round of paper
over the vegetables, cover the casserole and set in
lower third of oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
regularly and has almost evaporated in 45 minutes.
Remove herb bouquet.

Bring the cream to the boil and pour it into the cas-
serole. Bake 30 minutes more. Correct seasoning.

(*) May be set aside, partially covered, and reheated
at serving time.

Sprinkle with herbs just before bringing casserole to
table.

FROZEN BEANS

449

FROZEN GREEN OR WAX BEANS

Frozen beans cook more evenly if they are partially thawed and not
stuck all together in a solid block. When you are doing more than two pack-
ages, use two saucepans; if too many beans are cooked in one pan, the liquid
will not evaporate by the time the beans are tender. Cut beans have more flavor
than Frenched beans.

For each io-ounce package
of beans:

Vi cup chicken stock, canned
chicken broth, canned
mushroom broth, or wa-
ter

i Tb minced shallots or
green onions
/ tsp salt
x Tb butter

A heavy bottomed, enam-
eled saucepan or skillet
with cover

The beans may now be used in any of the preceding green bean recipes.
If they are to be simmered in cream or in a sauce, use half the amount of liquid
for their preliminary cooking, and cook only until partially tender. They will
finish cooking in the sauce.

If you wish to do the preliminary cooking in advance, spread the cooked
beans out in one layer in a big cold saucepan or dish so they will cool rapidly.

If the beans are to be served cold, use olive oil rather than butter in the
preceding recipe, and spread the beans out afterward in one layer to cool
rapidly.

Bring the licjuid, shallots or onions, salt, and butter
to the boil in the saucepan. Add the partially thawed
beans. Cover and boil slowly for 5 to 6 minutes, toss-
ing occasionally, until the beans are just tender. Re-
move cover and rapidly boil off any remaining liquid.
Correct seasoning.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Choux de Bruxelles

Cooked Brussels sprouts should be bright green, fresh-tasting, and have
the slightest suggestion of crunch at the core. Overcooked sprouts become
yellowish, mushy, and develop the flavor of stale cabbage.

450

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Choose firm, healthy, fresh, rounded heads all of the same size with bright
green leaves. Soft-headed sprouts are overmature, tasteless, or unhealthy, and
will cook into a pulp.

AMOUNT TO BUY

A i-quart basket weighting about if pounds will serve 4 or 5 people as
a vegetable garnish.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Buttered Brussels sprouts go well with roast duck, goose, turkey, beef,
pork, liver, ham, and sausages. Creamed Brussels sprouts may be served with
any of these, and also with roast chicken or veal.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Trim the base of each Brussels sprout with a small knife and pierce a
cross in it for quick cooking. Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves. Discard
any sprouts which are soft-headed, yellowish, or worm-eaten. Wash the
trimmed vegetables quickly in a large basin of cold water and drain. Modern
growing methods seem to have eliminated burrowing insects, so it is nowadays
rarely necessary, as it used to be, to soak the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes in
salted water.

CHOUX DE BRUXELLES BLANCHIS

[Blanched Brussels Sprouts — Preliminary Cooking]

Brussels sprouts, whether they are to be served with melted butter and
seasonings or are to be simmered or braised, always receive a blanching in a
large kettle of boiling salted water. This preliminary may be accomplished
hours before the final cooking is to take place.

1 to 2 quarts Brussels Drop the Brussels sprouts into the rapidly boiling
sprouts, trimmed and salted water. Bring to the boil again as rapidly as
washed possible.

A large kettle containing 7
to 8 quarts of rapidly boil-
ing water

1V2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

45i

If the vegetables are to be partially cooked and fin-
ished off later as directed in most of the following
recipes, boil them slowly, uncovered, for 6 to 8 min-
utes, or until almost tender. Immediately remove with
a skimmer and drain in a colander.

If they are to be fully cooked, and served at once with
melted butter d I’anglaise, boil them slowly, uncov-
ered, for a total of io to 12 minutes. They are done
when a knife pierces the stem of a sprout easily; cut
one in half and eat it, to be sure. Drain immediately.

AHEAD-OF-TIME BLANCHING

If the Brussels sprouts are not to be used at once, as soon as they have
been drained spread them out in one layer, not touching one another, on a
double thickness of clean toweling. This lets the air circulate around them and
cool them quickly, so that they retain their color and texture. (You may plunge
them into cold water instead, if you wish, but we think the one-layer cooling
gives a better texture.) When the Brussels sprouts are thoroughly cold, they
may be refrigerated and will keep perfectly for 24 hours. Complete the cooking
as directed in any of the following recipes.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Partially cooked

A skimmer
A colander

Fully cooked

* CHOUX DE BRUXELLES ETUVES AU BEURRE

[Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter]

Serve braised Brussels sprouts with roast turkey, pork, duck, or goose,
steaks, chops, hamburgers, or sauteed liver. You may dress up braised Brussels
sprouts with cream, cheese, or chestnuts, as suggested in the variations at the
end of the recipe.

For 6 people

1V2 Tb softened butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and smear the butter in-

A 2 ’/2-quart, fireproof, cov- side the casserole or baking dish,
ered casserole or baking
dish large enough to hold
the Brussels sprouts in 1
or 2 layers

452

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

1V2 quarts blanched Brussels Arrange the blanched Brussels sprouts heads up in
sprouts (partially cooked), the casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt
page 450 and pepper, and with the melted butter.

Salt and pepper

2 to 4 Tb melted butter

A round of lightly buttered Lay the paper over the Brussels sprouts. Cover and

waxed paper heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to

sizzle, then place in middle level of preheated oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sprouts are
tender and well impregnated with butter. Serve as
soon as possible.

VARIATIONS

Choux de Bruxelles Etuves a la Creme

[Creamed Brussels Sprouts]

Serve these with veal, chicken, or turkey.

For 6 people

1/2 quarts Brussels sprouts Braise the Brussels sprouts as in the preceding recipe,

'A to V* cup boiling whip- but use only 2 tablespoons of butter. After the cas-

ping cream serole has been in the oven for 10 minutes, pour on

Salt and pepper the boiling cream and continue baking for 10 more

1 to 2 Tb butter cut into minutes or until the vegetables are tender. They will

pea-sized dots have absorbed most of the cream. Correct seasoning,

dot with butter, and serve as soon as possible.

Choux de Bruxelles aux Marrons

[Brussels Sprouts Braised with Chestnuts]

This recipe is particularly good with roast turkey, duck, or goose.

For 6 people

1/2 quarts Brussels sprouts Follow the preceding master recipe for braising the

braised in butter Brussels sprouts, but add the braised chestnuts to the

2 cups braised chestnuts, casserole to cook with them,
page 519

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

453

Choux de Bruxelles a la Mornay, Gratines

[Brussels Sprouts Gratineed with Cheese Sauce]

Serve these with roast chicken or veal, or as a luncheon or supper dish.
For 6 people

1V2 quarts Brussels sprouts
braised in butter
2 cups hot sauce mornay
(bechamel with cheese),
page 61

A lightly buttered baking
dish about 9 inches in di-
ameter and 2 inches deep
54 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Follow the preceding master recipe for braising the
Brussel sprouts; you may use only 2 tablespoons of
butter if you wish. Prepare the sauce, and spread one
third of it in the baking dish when the sprouts are
done. Arrange the Brussels sprouts over the sauce,
spoon the rest of the sauce over them, and sprinkle
with cheese and dots of butter. Set under a moderately
hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly, and
serve at once.

Choux de Bruxelles a la Milanaise

[Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese]

These cheese-coated Brussels sprouts are good with steaks and chops.
For 6 people

1/2 quarts Brussels sprouts
braised in butter
V2 cup grated Swiss cheese
mixed with 54 cup grated
Parmesan cheese
2 Tb melted butter

Follow the preceding master recipe for braising the
Brussels sprouts, but when they have been in the oven
10 minutes, turn them into a bowl. Reset oven to 425
degrees. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese in the
casserole or baking dish to coat the bottom and sides.
Return the Brussels sprouts, spreading the rest of the
cheese over each layer. Pour on the melted butter.
Place uncovered in upper third of oven for 10 to 15
minutes, to brown the cheese nicely.

CHOUX DE BRUXELLES A LA CREME

[Brussels Sprouts Chopped and Simmered in Cream]

Serve this dish with steaks or chops, roast beef or lamb, pork, duck, or
goose.

For 6 people

454

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

i'/2 quarts Brussels sprouts, Follow the recipe for blanched Brussels sprouts, page
trimmed and washed 450, but boil them for 5 minutes only. Drain. If you

are not proceeding at once with the rest of this recipe,
let them cool in one layer. Chop them roughly.

3 Tb butter

A 10-inch enameled skillet
14 tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper

Heat the butter to bubbling in the skillet. Add the
chopped Brussels sprouts and season with salt and
pepper. Shake them over moderately high heat for
several minutes to evaporate their moisture but not
to brown them.

Va cup whipping cream Pour in the cream. Bring to the simmer. Cover the

Salt and pepper skillet and cook at a slow simmer for 8 to 10 minutes

or until the vegetables have almost entirely absorbed
the cream and are tender. Correct seasoning.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter Reheat to the simmer just before serving. Off heat,

A hot vegetable dish fold in the huttcr. Turn into a hot vegetable dish,

2 Tb minced parsley sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

TIMBALE DE CHOUX DE BRUXELLES

[Brussels Sprouts Mold]

This is a puree of Brussels sprouts mixed with eggs, milk, cheese, and
bread crumbs, cooked in a mold, then unmolded and served with a cream
sauce. It makes an unusual luncheon dish, or a fine accompaniment to roast
veal or chicken. Use the same method and ingredients as for the asparagus
mold, page 440, substituting blanched, chopped Brussels sprouts for asparagus.

FROZEN BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This recipe is for fully-cooked Brussels sprouts. If you wish to substitute
partially cooked frozen sprouts for fresh ones in any of the preceding recipes,
use half the amount of water indicated here, and cook the sprouts until they
are almost but not quite tender, 3 to 4 minutes. (When you are cooking more
than two packages, use two saucepans; if too many vegetables are cooked in
one pan, the liquid will not evaporate by the time they are tender.)

For each io-ounce package Allow the frozen Brussels sprouts to thaw just enough
frozen Brussels sprouts: so that you can separate them. Boil the water with the

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

455

Z 2 cup water
14 tsp salt
i Tb butter
Salt and pepper

salt and butter in a saucepan. Add the vegetables,
cover, and boil slowly for 6 to 8 minutes or until the
sprouts are tender. Uncover saucepan and rapidly boil
off any remaining liquid. Correct seasoning.

(*) If not to be used immediately, spread them out in
one layer in a large, cold saucepan or dish.

BROCCOLI

Choux Broccoli - Choux Aspcrges

Broccoli, for some reason, is rarely seen in France though it abounds
next door in Italy. We shall therefore not give it full-dress treatment, though
we think it a delicious and useful vegetable.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Fresh broccoli will cook much more rapidly and stay greener if you di-
vide it into flowerets about 3 inches long and then peel the thin, green skin
off the stalks. Peel the cut-off butt ends deeply enough to expose the whitish,
tender flesh, and cut into bias lengths.

BLANCHING

Blanch the prepared broccoli in a large kettle of boiling, salted water;
first put in the pieces of stem and boil 5 minutes, then add the flowerets. Be-
cause it is a fragile vegetable, broccoli is easier to handle if you place it in a
vegetable rack which you may set into the boiling water, and lift out with the
broccoli when it is done. If the broccoli is to be partially cooked then braised,
or simmered in a sauce, boil the flowerets for about 5 minutes or until almost
tender. Fully cooked broccoli that is to be served with melted butter or a sauce
such as hollandaise requires 8 to 10 minutes of cooking, or until a knife pierces
the stems easily. Drain immediately.

FROZEN BROCCOLI

Cook frozen broccoli in the same manner as frozen Brussels sprouts,
page 454

SAUCES FOR PLAIN, BOILED BROCCOLI
Sauces for hot or cold broccoli are the same as d~ose suggested for aspara-
gus, pages 437-8

456

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

OTHER COOKING METHODS

Broccoli may be substituted for Brussels sprouts in any of the following
recipes in the Brussels sprouts section:

Braised in Butter, page 451
Creamed, page 452

Gratineed with Cheese Sauce, page 453
Browned with Swiss and Parmesan Cheese, page 453
Chopped and Simmered in Cream, page 453

Baked in a mold with eggs, milk, and cheese, then unmolded. See the
master recipe for asparagus molds on page 440.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Hot or cold broccoli with a sauce such as hollandaise or vinaigrette may
be served, like asparagus, as a separate vegetable course. Creamed broccoli goes
with roast or broiled chicken, roast veal, or sauteed veal scallops. Broccoli with
melted butter or browned with cheese goes with sauteed liver, steaks, chops,
and broiled chicken.

CAULIFLOWER

Chou-fleur

Choose cauliflowers with hard, clean, white heads containing firm, com-
pact, flower clusters. The leaves surrounding the head should be fresh, healthy,
and green.

AMOUNT TO BUY

A trimmed cauliflower head about 8 inches across will serve 4 to 6 people
as a vegetable garnish.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Cauliflower gratineed or served with a sauce may constitute a separate
vegetable course. All types of cauliflower dishes go with roast turkey, chicken,
lamb, beef, pork, and with steaks or chops.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Cauliflower cooks more evenly if you divide it into flowerets; we
therefore always advise that you do so. Pull the outside leaves off the cauli-

CAULIFLOWER

457

flower and cut the stem off close under the head. The smaller leaves and the
peeled stem may be used for soup. Cut the flowerets off the central stalk, and
peel the diin skin off their stems with a knife. Cut a slit in any stems larger
than / inch in diameter, so they will cook quickly. Peel the central stalk
deeply enough to expose its tender flesh, and cut it in bias pieces. Wash the
cauliflower rapidly in a large basin of cold water. Drain.

* CHOU -FLEUR BLANCHI

[Blanched Cauliflower - Preliminary Cooking]

i or 2 heads of cauliflower,
cut into flowerets
A large kettle containing 7
to 8 quarts of boiling wa-
ter

1/2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

A vegetable rack set in the
kettle is useful
Optional: add 1 cup of milk
to kettle for each 3 quarts
of boiling water, to keep
cauliflower white

Drop the washed cauliflower into the rapidly boiling
water; use a vegetable rack if you have one. Bring
back to the boil as quickly as possible. Boil slowly,
uncovered, for 9 to 12 minutes. The cauliflower is
done when a knife pierces the stems easily. Eat a
piece to be sure. It should be tender but retain the
merest suggestion of crunchiness at the core.

As soon as it is done, carefully remove the cauliflower
with a skimmer or spoon and drain in a colander,
or remove the rack with cauliflower in it.

Refreshing Blanched Cauliflower

When cooked cauliflower is not to be served immediately or is to be
served cold, it should be refreshed in cold water as soon as it is blanched. This
stops the cooking so that die cauliflower retains its fresh taste and texture.
Plunge the colander or vegetable rack holding the hot cauliflower into a large
basin of cold water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.

Reheating

If the refreshed cauliflower is to be served hot with melted butter or sauce,
steam it in a covered colander over boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes until hoi
through. Then season with salt and pepper, and it is ready for saucing and
serving.

458

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

II° w to Mold Cooked Cauliflower into its Original Shape

It is not necessary, of course, to mold the cooked flowerets back into the
shape of a whole head, but it makes an attractive presentation.

Select a bowl slightly smaller than the width and depth of the cauliflower
head before it was cut into flowerets. Set die bowl over simmering water to
warm it. When the cauliflower heads have been blanched and drained, one by
one place the longest flowerets in the bottom of the bowl, heads down and
stems converging at the center of the bowl. Continue with the rest of the flow-
erets, arranging their heads around the sides of the bowl until it is filled. Place
the cooked pieces of stem on top. Then turn a warm, round, serving dish up-
side down over the bowl. Reverse the bowl onto the dish and remove the bowl;
the cauliflower will stand molded in approximately its original shape.

SAUCES FOR HOT CAULIFLOWER

Here is a list of sauces to serve with hot cauliflower; about i to 1% cups
are sufficient for an 8-inch head. If the cauliflower has been molded, spoon
Vi of the sauce over the stems before reversing the bowl.

Beurre au Citron, lemon butter sauce, page 98

Beurre Noir, brown butter sauce, page 98. You may brown % cup of
fresh, white bread crumbs with the butter. Sieved hard-boiled egg yolks and
chopped parsley mixed into the butter and breadcrumbs turn die cauliflower
into chou-fleur a la polonaise.

Sauce Creme, bechamel with cream, page 59
Sauce Batardc, mock hollandaise, page 64
Sauce Hollandaise, page 79
Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream, page 83

Sauce d la Creme

[Fresh Cream Sauce]

For an 8 -inch cauliflower

z cups whipping cream
A small saucepan
Salt and white pepper

Simmer the cream in the saucepan until reduced by
half. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and drops of
lemon juice. Set aside until ready to use, then reheat.

CAULIFLOWER

459

Lemon juice
2 Tb softened butter
A wire whip
Parsley sprigs

Remove from heat and beat in the butter half a table-
spoon at a time and pour the sauce over the hot
cauliflower. Decorate with parsley and serve.

CHOU-FLEUR A LA MORN AY, GRATINE

[Cauliflower au gratin with Cheese]

Cauliflower au gratin may be prepared for the oven well in advance of
serving, and goes with all kinds of roasts, chops, and steaks. You may, if you
wish, mold the cauliflower in a bowl before saucing it, page 458, so it will pre-
serve its round shape.

For 4 to 6 people

An 8-inch cauliflower cut
into flowerets

Following directions on page 457, blanch the cauli-
flower in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling, salted water for 9 to
12 minutes, refresh in cold water, and drain.

2/2 cups sauce mornay ( be-
chamel with cheese),
page 6 1

A lightly buttered baking
dish about 8 inches in di-
ameter and 2 inches deep
Salt and pepper
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread
crumbs mixed with 2 Tb
grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb melted butter

Spread / 3 of the sauce in the baking dish. Arrange
the cauliflower over it and season with salt and pep-
per. Pour on the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the
top with bread crumbs and cheese. Dribble on the
melted butter.

(*) Set aside, covered loosely with waxed paper, un-
til ready to bake.

About 30 minutes before serving time, place in upper
third of a preheated 375-degree oven to warm through
thoroughly and to brown lightly. Serve as soon as
possible.

CHOU-FLEUR AUX TO MATES FRAtCHES

[Cauliflower Gratineed with Cheese and Tomatoes]

This dish is particularly good with steaks, chops, and hamburgers.
For 4 to 6 people

460

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

An 8-inch head of cauli-
flower, cut into flowerets

Following directions on page 457, blanch the cauli-
flower in boiling salted water for 9 to 12 minutes, re-
fresh in cold water, and drain.

1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes, Cut the tomato pulp into strips Zz inch wide,
peeled, seeded, and juiced,
page 505 (makes 1Z2
cups of pulp)

A shallow 10-inch buttered
baking dish
'/ tsp salt
Big pinch of pepper
Zz cup melted butter
Za cup fine, dry, white
bread crumbs mixed with
Zz cup grated Swiss and
Parmesan cheese

Arrange the cauliflower in the center of the dish.
Place the tomatoes around the edge of the dish. Sea-
son the vegetables with salt, pepper, and half the
melted butter. Spread the cheese and bread crumbs
over the vegetables, and pour on the rest of the melted
butter.

(*) Set aside until ready to bake.

About 30 minutes before serving time, place in upper
third of a preheated 375-degree oven to warm through
thoroughly and brown the cheese nicely. Serve as soon
as possible.

CHOU -FLEUR EN VERDURE

[Puree of Cauliflower and Water Cress with Cream]

Serve this delectable puree with roast veal, chicken, or turkey, broiled or
sauteed chicken, chicken breasts, or veal scallops.

For 4 to 6 people

An 8-inch head of cauli-
flower

A bunch of fresh water
cress about 3 inches in di-
ameter across the stems

A kettle containing 7 to 8
quarts of rapidly boiling
water

1Z2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

Separate the cauliflower head into flowerets; peel off
and discard the tough skin of the central stalk and
chop the stalk. Cut off the bunch of water cress just
above the point where the stems join the leaves (stems
may be used for soup). Wash and drain the vegeta-
bles. Drop the cauliflower into the boiling, salted wa-
ter and boil slowly for 6 minutes. Then add the wa-
tercress leaves and boil 4 to 5 minutes more, or until
cauliflower is just tender. Drain

CAULIFLOWER

461

A food mill

A 3-quart mixing bowl
A rubber scraper
2 cups thick bechamel
sauce page 57 (3Z2 Tb
butter, 5 Tb flour, 2 cups
boiling milk, salt, and
pepper)

Z2 cup whipping cream
Z2 cup grated Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper

A lightly buttered baking
dish 8 to 9 inches in di-
ameter and 2 inches deep
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread
crumbs mixed with 2 Tb
grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb melted butter

Puree the cauliflower and water cress through the
food mill and place puree in mixing bowl. Fold in
the bechamel sauce. By spoonfuls, fold in the cream
but do not thin out the puree too much; it should
just hold its shape when a bit is lifted on the scraper.
Fold in the cheese, and season to taste with salt and
pepper.

Fleap the puree in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the
cheese and bread crumbs, then the melted butter.

(*) Set aside until ready to bake.

About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third
of a preheated 375-degree oven to heat through thor-
oughly and brown the cheese and bread crumbs. Serve
as soon as possible.

TIMBALE DE CHOU -FLEUR

[Cauliflower Mold]

This is a puree of cooked cauliflower mixed with eggs, bread crumbs,
cheese, and milk. It is baked in a souffle mold, unmolded, and surrounded with
a sauce. Use the recipe for asparagus mold on page 440, substituting cauli-
flower for the asparagus. Other sauces to serve besides those suggested in the
recipe are:

Coulis de Tomates, fresh tomato sauce with herbs, page 78

Sauce au Carl, bechamel with curry and onions, page 63

GREEN PEAS

Petits Pois

The tenderest, freshest, and sweetest peas have bright green pods that are
rather velvety to the touch. The pods should be fairly well filled. A perfect

462

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

raw pea will taste tender and sweet. As peas mature they become larger, harder,
and less sweet; but even a quite tough pea will make good eating if it is cooked
in the right way. Choose, if possible, pods of equal size widi peas all at the
same stage of development so they will cook evenly.

As we have not the space in this book to cover every aspect of pea cookery,
we have felt it would be most useful to present one fundamental recipe each
for the small tender pea, the large tender pea, the tough pea, peas a la f ran false,
and frozen and canned peas.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of small, tender peas will usually furnish about 1 cup of
shelled peas.

One pound of large peas will usually furnish about \/ 2 cups of shelled

peas.

One cup of shelled peas will serve from 1 to 3 people depending on your
menu. We have based our recipes on 2 people per cup.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Beautifully cooked peas make a delicious separate vegetable course, and
they may accompany almost anydiing from eggs and roasts to stews.

THREE RECIPES FOR BUTTERED PEAS

Each of the three recipes here is designed for peas of a particular quality,
from sweet and tender to rather tough. Pick the recipe which corresponds to
the type of peas you are to cook.

Petits Pots Frais d V Anglais e

[Buttered Peas I — for very tender, sweet, fresh, green peas]

Anyone who has eaten a plateful of small, tender, fresh, green peas in
Italy or France in the springtime is not likely to forget the experience. These
best-of-all peas are always cooked by blanching in a very large kettle of boiling
salted water. They are served at once a I'anglaise, meaning they are merely
seasoned, turned into a vegetable dish, and topped with pieces of butter. This
simple and fundamental treatment preserves, unadulterated, their color, tex-
ture, and taste.

For 6 people

GREEN PEAS

463

3 lbs. of very tender, sweet,
young, fresh green peas
(3 cups, shelled)

A large kettle containing 7
to 8 quarts of rapidly boil-
ing water

1V1 tsp salt per quart of
water

Drop the shelled peas into the rapidly boiling salted
water. Bring the water to the boil again as quickly as
possible. Boil slowly, uncovered, for 4 to 8 minutes,
testing the peas frequently by eating one. They will
have more taste and be greener if they are drained at
the point where they are tender but still retain a sug-
gestion of texture. But this is a matter of personal
taste, and they may be boiled a few more minutes if
you wish.

A colander

A heavy-bottomed saucepan
Salt and pepper
Vi to x Tb granulated sugar
(depending on sweetness
of peas)

A hot vegetable dish
6 Tb butter, formed into
little shells or cut into
pieces

Drain the peas immediately. Place in the saucepan
with the seasonings and roll them gently over mod-
erate heat for a moment or two to evaporate all their
humidity. Correct seasoning. Turn the peas into a hot
vegetable dish, arrange the butter over them, and serve
at once.

Petits Pois Etuves an Beurre

[Buttered Peas II — for large but tender fresh green peas]

This is for the larger pea, the kind you usually find at your market.
For 6 people

2 lbs. large but tender fresh
green peas (3 cups,
shelled)

A kettle containing 7 to 8
quarts of rapidly boiling
water

1 Vi tsp salt per quart of
water

A colander

Drop the peas in the boiling salted water and boil un-
covered for 5 to 10 minutes or until the peas are al-
most but not quite tender. They will finish cooking
later. Drain.

(*) If the peas are not to be served immediately, re-
fresh them in cold water for 3 to 4 minutes to stop
the cooking and to retain their color and texture.
Drain.

A heavy-bottomed, 6- to 8-
cup enameled saucepan
1 to 2 Tb granulated sugar
(depending on the sweet-
ness of the peas)

Roll the peas in the saucepan over moderate heat for
a moment or two to evaporate their moisture. Then
roll them with the sugar, salt, pepper, butter, and op-
tional mint. When the peas are well coated with but-
ter, cover and cook over very low heat for about 10

464

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

y 4 tsp salt minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are tender.

Big pinch of pepper Correct seasoning, turn into a hot vegetable dish, and

6 Tb softened butter serve as soon as possible.

Optional English touch: 1
to 2 Tb minced fresh mint
leaves

Salt and pepper
A hot vegetable dish

Petits Pois aux Oignons

[Buttered Peas with Onions]

12 to 18 small, white, peeled
onions boiled in salted
water until almost tender,
OR 3 to 5 Tb minced
shallots or green onions

Prepare the peas as in the preceding recipe, but add
boiled onions or diced shallots or green onions to the
saucepan with the peas and seasonings for the final,
10-minute cooking period.

Pois Prats en Braisage

[Buttered Peas III— for large, rather tough, fresh green peas]

This is for large, mature, end-of-season peas. They remain green after
cooking, become tender, and have a fine flavor though they will look a bit
wrinkled.

For 6 people

A heavy-bottomed, 214 -
quart enameled saucepan
2 lbs. of large, mature, fresh
peas (3 cups, shelled)
x large head of Boston let-
tuce, shredded
14 tsp salt

2 Tb granulated sugar
4 Tb minced green onions
6 Tb softened butter

Place in the saucepan the peas and all the rest of the
ingredients. Squeeze the peas with your hands rather
roughly to bruise them slightly, and to mix them
thoroughly with the butter, lettuce, onions, and sea-
sonings. Add enough cold water to cover the peas by
54 inch.

A hot vegetable dish Cover the saucepan and set over moderately high heat.

Boil rapidly for 20 to 30 minutes; test the peas fre-
quently by eating one after 20 minutes, to see if they
are tender. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons more water if it

GREEN PEAS

465

evaporates before the peas are done. When they are
tender, uncover and quickly boil off any remaining
liquid. Taste for seasoning. Turn into a hot vegetable
dish, and serve.

( # ) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered.
Shortly before serving, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of wa-
ter, cover, and boil slowly until the peas are well
warmed through and the water has evaporated.

PETITS POIS FRA1S A LA FRANC AISE

[Peas Braised with Lettuce and Onions— for medium sized, tender, fresh
peas]

This dish is considered the glory of pea cookery; it should really be
served as a separate course and eaten with a spoon. If you wish to have a wine
with the peas, serve a chilled white that is not too dry, such as Traminer or
Graves, or a chilled rose.

For 4 to 6 people

1/2 firm, fresh heads of
Boston lettuce 7 to 8
inches in diameter
White string

Remove wilted leaves, trim the stems, and wash the
lettuce heads carefully so they will not break apart.
Cut into quarters. Wind several loops of string about
each quarter to keep it in shape as much as possible
during the cooking.

6 Tb butter

Vi cup water

1V2 Tb granulated sugar

V2 tsp salt

Va tsp pepper

A heavy-bottomed, 3-quart,
enameled saucepan
3 lbs. medium sized, tender,
fresh green peas (3 cups,
shelled)

8 parsley stems tied together
with white string
12 green onion bulbs about
1 inch in diameter OR
small white onions boiled
for 5 minutes in salted
water

Bring the butter, water, and seasonings to the boil in
the saucepan. Then add the peas and toss to cover
them with the liquid. Bury the parsley in their midst.
Arrange the lettuce quarters over them and baste with
the liquid. Pierce a cross in the root ends of the onions
(for even cooking) and disperse them among the let-
tuce quarters.

466

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

A domed lid or a soup plate So that the cooking steam will condense and fall back

onto the peas, invert a lid over the saucepan and fill
it with cold water or ice cubes; or use a soup plate.
Bring the peas to the boil and boil slowly for 20 to 30
minutes or until tender. Several times during this
period, remove the cover and toss the peas and vege-
tables to insure even cooking. As the water warms up
and evaporates in the cover or soup plate, refill with
ice cubes or cold water.

Salt and pepper When the peas are tender their cooking liquid should

have almost entirely evaporated. Correct seasoning.

2 Tb softened butter Discard the parsley and the lettuce strings. Just before

A hot vegetable dish serving, toss the peas and onions with the butter. Turn

them into the vegetable dish, place the lettuce around
the edge of the dish, and serve at once.

FROZEN PEAS

This method of cooking frozen peas gives them the character they often
lack. Use two saucepans when you are cooking more than two io-ounce boxes;
if too many peas are cooked in one pan, the cooking liquid will not evaporate
by the time die peas are done.

For each io-ounce package
of frozen peas:

1 Tb butter

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

14 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Vi cup chicken stock or
canned chicken or mush-
room broth, or water

Allow the peas to thaw enough so they can be sepa-
rated. Bring the butter, shallots or green onions, sea-
sonings, and liquid to the boil in a saucepan. Add the
peas, cover, and boil slowly for 5 to 6 minutes or until
the peas are tender. Uncover and rapidly boil off any
remaining liquid. Correct seasoning.

CANNED PEAS

467

CANNED PEAS

Here is a way to improve the flavor of canned peas.

For each No. 2 can of peas
(i'A lbs. or 2/2 cups):

Turn the peas into a sieve and run cold water over
them. Drain.

1Z2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

2 Tb butter

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tb stock or mushroom
broth

Cook the shallots or onions in the butter for a mo-
ment. Add the peas and seasonings and toss them in
the butter. Then add the stock or broth, cover the
peas, and boil slowly for a few moments until the peas
are warmed through. Uncover, raise heat, and rapidly
boil off any remaining liquid.

SPINACH

Epinards

Spinach is an excellent vegetable when it is cooked properly. Except for
the tenderest and freshest garden variety which may be simmered slowly in
seasonings, butter, and its own juices, spinach is first blanched in a large kettle
of boiling salted water; then all the water is pressed out of it, and it is sim-
mered in butter and meat stock or cream. In addition to its role as a vegetable,
it can serve as a bed for poached eggs, fish, or breasts of chicken. It is also used
in various stuffings, and makes an excellent souffle, tart, or mold.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Spinach goes with just about everything, eggs, fish, chicken, sweetbreads,
ham, roasts, steaks, chops, sautes. Or it may constitute a separate vegetable
course. The gratins may also serve as entrees, luncheon, or supper dishes. If it
is a separate course, a dry white wine such as a Riesling goes with spinach
braised in butter or in stock. Serve a less dry white wine, such as a Graves, with
spinach braised in cream.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of fresh spinach yields about 1 cup of cooked spinach, and
we shall consider that enough for 2 people.

468

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

If the spinach is young and tender, the stems are usually removed at the
base of the leaf. For more mature spinach, fold the leaf vertically, its underside
up, in the fingers of one hand; grasp the stem in the other hand and rip it off
toward the tip of the leaf, thus removing with the stem the tough tendrils
which are attached to the underside of the leaf. Discard any wilted or yellow
leaves. Whether or not it is claimed that the spinach is washed, plunge it into
a large basin of cold water and pump it up and down for several minutes with
your hands. Lift it out into a colander, leaving any sand in the bottom of the
basin. W ash the spinach several times more, if necessary, until there is no sand
to be seen in the bottom of the basin. Drain, and the spinach is ready for
cooking.

EP1NARDS BLANCHIS

[Blanched, Chopped Spinach — Preliminary Cooking]
For 3 cups of blanched, chopped spinach

3 lbs. fresh spinach

Prepare and wash the spinach as described in the pre-
ceding paragraph.

A large kettle containing at
least 7 to 8 quarts of rap-
idly boiling water
1^2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

A handful at a time, drop the spinach into the boiling
salted water. Bring back to the boil as rapidly as pos-
sible and boil slowly, uncovered, for about 5 minutes,
or until the spinach is almost tender. Test it by eating
a piece.

A large colander At once, set the colander, curved side down, into the

kettle. Protecting your hands with a towel, hold the
colander firmly clamped to the sides of the kettle
as you tilt the kettle and pour out the water. Still with
the colander in place, run cold water into the kettle
for several minutes to refresh the spinach. This will
preserve its color and texture. Remove colander and
lift the spinach out of the water into the colander,
thus leaving any possible bits of sand in the bottom of
the kettle.

SPINACH

469

A small amount at a time, squeeze the spinach in
your hands to extract as much water as possible — last
drops of water from each squeeze may be saved for
soup.

A stainless steel chopping
knife or a food mill

Chop the spinach with a big knife on a chopping
board, or, if you want a fine puree, put it through a
food mill. The spinach is now ready for further cook-
ing and flavoring.

(*) May be done several hours or a day in advance.
Cover and refrigerate.

WARNING

Spinach quickly picks up an astringent and metallic taste if its final cook-
ing is in iron or aluminum. For the following recipes, use only enamel, pyrex,
earthenware, or stainless steel saucepans or baking dishes, and serve the spinach
in enamel or porcelain, not silver.

* PUREE D’EPINARDS SIMPLE

[Cooked Chopped Spinach— Puree of Spinach]

This is the last step in preparing spinach for use in souffles, quiches, cus-
tards, crepes, stuffings, or for final cooking in any of the following recipes. The
directions on page 475 also bring frozen spinach to this point.

For 3 cups, or for 6 people

2 Tb butter

A 2 '/2-quart heavy-bot-

tomed, enameled sauce-
pan

3 cups blanched spinach,

chopped or pureed (di-
rections in preceding

recipe)

Salt and pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

When the butter is bubbling in the saucepan over
moderately high heat, stir in the spinach. Continue
stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until all the moisture from
the spinach has boiled off — the spinach will begin to
adhere to the bottom of the pan. Season to taste, and
the spinach is ready to use.

470

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

RECIPES FOR COOKED CHOPPED SPINACH

Epinards Etuves an Beurre

[Spinach Braised in Butter — Buttered Spinach]

Serve this deliciously buttery spinach with steaks, chops, roasts, ham, or
sauteed liver. Use it also in any recipe calling for a bed of buttered spinach.

For 6 people

3 cups cooked chopped
spinach (the preceding
recipe), in a heavy-bot-
tomed enameled saucepan

4 Tb butter

Salt and pepper to taste

After you have followed the directions in the preced-
ing recipe (stirring the spinach over moderately high
heat with butter and seasonings until its moisture has
evaporated), stir in the 4 additional tablespoons of
butter listed here. Cover the saucepan and cook very
slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until
the spinach has absorbed the butter and is very tender.
Correct seasoning.

(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered.
Reheat when needed.

2 Tb softened butter Remove from heat, fold in the additional butter, and

A hot porcelain serving dish turn the spinach into the hot serving dish.

Epinards an Jambon

[Spinach with Ham]

V2 cup finely diced ham,
sauteed briefly in butter
The preceding spinach
braised in butter
12 croutons (triangles of
white bread sauteed in
clarified butter), page 199

Stir the ham into the spinach 2 to 3 minutes before the
end of the cooking. After arranging the spinach on its
serving dish, place the croutons around the edge of
the dish.

Epinards au Jus

[Spinach Braised in Stock]

SPINACH

471

Epinards a la Creme

| Spinach Braised in Cream— Creamed Spinach]

This is an alternative to the preceding recipe for buttered spinach.
Whether to use cream or stock for the braising depends on your judgment of
which goes best with the rest of your menu. Creamed spinach would contrast
well with sauteed ham, liver, brains, sweetbreads, chicken, or veal; spinach
braised in stock would be preferable if you served any of these meats in a cream
sauce. Spinach braised in stock or cream may also be gratineed with cheese or
be used as a filling for crepes as suggested in the variations following the recipe.

For 6 people

3 cups cooked chopped spin-
ach, page 469, in a heavy-
bottomed enameled sauce-
pan

1 14 Tb flour, sifted to re-
move any lumps

1 cup brown stock, canned
beef bouillon, or whipping
cream

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 Tb softened butter
A hot porcelain serving dish
Optional: 1 or 2 sieved or
sliced hard-boiled eggs

After you have stirred the spinach over moderately
high heat with butter and seasonings to evaporate its
humidity, as directed in the recipe for cooked chopped
spinach, lower heat to moderate. Sprinkle on the flour
and stir for 2 minutes more to cook the flour.

Remove from heat and stir in two thirds of the stock,
bouillon, or cream by spoonfuls. Bring to the simmer,
cover, and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes. Stir
frequently to prevent spinach from sticking to bottom
of pan, and add more liquid by spoonfuls if spinach
becomes too dry. Correct seasoning.

(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside uncov-
ered, and film top with a tablespoon of stock or cream.
Reheat when needed.

Remove spinach from heat, fold in the butter, and
turn into the serving dish. Decorate with optional egg.

VARIATIONS

Epinards Gratifies an Frontage

[Spinach Gratineed with Cheese]

Serve this gratineed spinach with steaks or chops, roast veal or chicken,
or sauteed liver. It also goes well with broiled fish.

For 6 people

472

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Y* cups grated Swiss cheese
3 cups spinach braised in
stock (the preceding
recipe)

A lightly buttered baking
dish 8 inches in diameter
and i'/2 inches deep
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread
crumbs

i'/2 Tb melted butter

Stir two thirds of the cheese into the spinach and turn
it into the baking dish, heaping it into a slight dome.
Mix the rest of the cheese with the bread crumbs and
spread over the spinach. Sprinkle on the melted butter.

About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third
of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thor-
oughly and brown the top lightly.

Canapes aux Epinards

[Spinach and Cheese Canapes]

Serve these canapes as a hot first course or luncheon dish, or make them
smaller than directed here and serve as cocktail appetizers.

For 6 people

12 slices of white bread, 3 Z2
by 2/2 inches and Ya inch
thick

% cup grated Swiss cheese

3 cups spinach braised in
stock (the preceding mas-
ter recipe)

2 Tb fine, dry, white bread
crumbs

2 to 3 Tb melted butter

Cut off the crusts and saute the bread in hot butter
and oil in a skillet until lightly browned on each side.
Stir two thirds of the cheese into the braised spinach
and heap 2 or 3 tablespoons on each piece of sauteed
bread. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese, the
bread crumbs, and the melted butter.

Just before serving, run under a moderately hot
broiler to heat through and brown lightly.

Epinards a la Mornay, Gratines

[Spinach Gratineed with Cheese Sauce]

Serve this gratineed spinach with roasts, steaks, or chops, or as a hot first
course or luncheon dish.

For 6 people

SPINACH

473

xVz cups sauce mornay
(i bechamel with cheese),
page 6 1

A lightly buttered baking
dish 8 inches in diameter
and i V2 inches deep
3 cups spinach braised in
stock or in cream, page
470-1

Optional: V2 lb. sliced

mushrooms sauteed in
butter, page 513
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1V2 Tb melted butter

Spread a third of the sauce in the bottom of the bak-
ing dish. If you are using the optional mushrooms,
fold them into the spinach. Heap the spinach in the
dish over the sauce, and spoon the rest of the sauce
over it. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and melted
butter.

About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third
of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thor-
oughly and brown lightly on top.

Epinards en Surprise

[Spinach Hidden under a Giant Crepe\

This is an amusing presentation; the spinach is heaped in a serving dish
and a large French pancake is spread over it, hiding it completely. Serve it as
a main course luncheon or supper dish and, if you wish, mix a cup of sauteed,
diced ham or mushrooms into the spinach.

For 6 people

Z2 cup grated Swiss cheese
3 cups spinach braised in
stock or in cream, page
47°-r

A hot, lightly buttered por-
celain serving dish about
8 inches in diameter
A French pancake, crepe,
large enough to cover the
spinach completely, page
191

Just before serving, stir the cheese into the hot, braised
spinach and heap it in the serving dish. Then cover
with the crepe.

474

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

PETITES CREPES D’EPINARDS

[Spinach Pancakes]

Spinach pancakes may be folded in quarters to garnish a roast, steaks, or
chops. Filled as suggested in the Crepe section, pages 193 to 195, they may be
served as a hot first course, or luncheon or supper dish.

For about 1 2 crepes 6 inches in diameter

If you are making the crepe batter in an electric
blender, you may puree the blanched spinach at the
same time. Otherwise, puree the spinach in a food
mill and combine with the crepe batter. Let batter
rest for 2 hours before using. Cook spinach crepes like
ordinary crapes, according to directions following
those for the batter.

Ingredients for Vi the recipe
for crepes, page 191
1 cup blanched spinach,
page 468

TIMBALE D’EPINARDS

[Spinach Mold]

This is a puree of spinach mixed with eggs, milk, cheese, and bread-
crumbs, baked in a souffle dish, unmolded, and surrounded with a sauce. Use
the recipe for asparagus mold on page 440, substituting spinach puree, page
469, for asparagus. Other sauces besides those with the asparagus mold recipe
are:

Sauce T ornate or Coulis de Tomates, tomato sauce, pages 76 to 78

Sauce Aurore, veloute or bechamel sauce with tomato flavoring, page 62

EPINARDS A LA BASQUAISE

[Gratin of Spinach and Sliced Potatoes with Anchovies]

Serve this with steaks, roast beef, roast lamb, or with broiled fish such as
mackerel, fresh tuna, herring, or sardines.

For 6 people

Vi cup grated Swiss cheese Stir the cheese into the braised spinach.
3 cups spinach braised in
stock, page 470

SPINACH

475

1 lb. “boiling” potatoes Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices Vs inch

thick. Boil them in salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, or
until tender. Drain.

A lightly buttered baking Spread half of the potatoes in the bottom of the bak-

dish 2 inches deep and 9 ing dish. Cover with half of the anchovy mixture,

inches in diameter Spread half of the spinach over the potatoes. Repeat

2 Tb mashed anchovies (or with the remaining potatoes, anchovy mixture, and

1 Tb anchovy paste) spinach.

blended with 4 Tb sof-
tened butter and Vs tsp
pepper

Vi cup grated Swiss cheese Spread the cheese and bread crumbs over the top of

mixed with 3 Tb dry, the spinach and pour on the melted butter,

white bread crumbs
2 Tb melted butter

About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third
of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thor-
oughly and brown the top nicely.

FROZEN SPINACH

Although it never has quite the lovely taste of fresh spinach, frozen spin-
ach is certainly one of the great inventions. When you give it the following
preliminary treatment, you may use it in any of the preceding recipes. If you
are cooking more than two packages at once, use two saucepans; when too
much is in one saucepan, the liquid will not evaporate quickly enough and
the spinach will overcook.

For each xo-ounce package Whether the frozen spinach is whole, chopped, or

of frozen spinach: pureed, it will cook most successfully if you unwrap

A heavy, stainless steel chop- and defrost it just enough so you can slice it by bear-
ping knife ing down on the block with a heavy knife. If the

spinach is already chopped or pureed, cut the slices
roughly into half-inch pieces. If the spinach is whole,
chop the slices into small bits.

Melt the butter in the saucepan or skillet, then stir ir
the chopped spinach and seasonings. Cover and cook

i'/2 Tb butter

A heavy-bottomed, enam-

476

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

eled saucepan or skillet
Z\ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Small pinch of nutmeg

very slowly for a minute or two, until the spinach has
thawed and released its juices. Uncover, raise heat,
and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until all moisture has
evaporated.

This may now be substituted for the cooked chopped
spinach on page 469, and used in any of the recipes
calling for it or blanched spinach.

CARROTS, ONIONS, AND TURNIPS

Carottes, Oignons, et Navets

Carrots, onions, and turnips a la franfaise are all cooked in substantially
the same manner, so we have grouped them together.

CARROTS

Carottes

Carrots develop their maximum flavor if they are cooked in a covered
saucepan with a small amount of liquid, butter, and seasonings until the liquid
has evaporated and the carrots are beginning to saute in the butter.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Buttered or glazed carrots go well with all kinds of roasts, and combine
with other vegetables to make many of the classic garnitures which may sur-
round a meat platter. One of the more elaborate of these is a la bouqueticre
which includes glazed carrots and turnips, diced green beans, peas, cauliflower
bouquets, and potato balls sauteed in butter. Creamed carrots are particularly
good with veal and chicken.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of carrots minus their tops will serve 3 or 4 people. A pound
of raw carrots, sliced, diced, or quartered, makes about 3% cups.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Trim off the stems and peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler. Depend-
ing on their size and the effect you wish, slice them horizontally, or halve or
quarter them lengthwise, then cut the lengths into 2-inch pieces. These pieces

CARROTS

All

may, if you wish, be trimmed into the form of long garlic cloves; in French
this is termed tourner en gousses or en olives.

(For tough old carrots only: If you happen to have end-of-season carrots,
quarter them lengthwise, then cut out and remove the woody central section,
and use only the reddish outer portion which French recipes call rouge de
carotte. Then before proceeding with any of the following recipes, blanch the
carrots by boiling for 5 to 8 minutes in salted water.)

* CAROTTES ETUVEES AU BEURRE

[Carrots Braised in Butter]

This is the basic recipe for cooked carrots; they may be served with a
sprinkling of parsley, simmered in cream, mixed with other vegetables, or
pureed.

For 6 people

A heavy-bottomed, 2-quart,
enameled saucepan
1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled, and
sliced or quartered (about
5V2 cups)

1 Tb granulated sugar (to
develop their flavor)

1/2 cups water
1V2 Tb butter
14 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

In the saucepan, bring the carrots to the boil with the
sugar, water, butter, and salt. Cover and boil slowly
for 30 to 40 minutes or until the carrots are tender and
the liquid has evaporated. Correct seasoning.

(*) If they are not to be served at once, set aside un-
covered and reheat when needed.

VARIATIONS

Carottes aux Fines Herbes

[Braised Carrots with Herbs]

1V2 lbs. carrots braised in Just before serving and off heat, toss the carrots with
butter the butter and herbs. Turn into a hot vegetable dish.

2 Tb softened butter

2 Tb minced parsley, cher-
vil and chives, or parsley
only

A hot vegetable dish

478

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Carottes a la Creme
[Creamed Carrots]

i to I V2 cups whipping
cream

1 54 lbs. carrots braised in
butter, page 477
Salt and pepper

Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan and pour in
enough to cover the carrots. Boil slowly, uncovered,
for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cream has been al-
most entirely absorbed by the carrots. Correct season-
ing.

2 Tb softened butter
2 Tb minced parsley, cher-
vil and chives, or parsley
only

A hot vegetable dish

Just before serving and off heat, gently toss the butter
and herbs into the carrots. Turn into a hot vegetable
dish.

Carottes a la Forestiere

[Braised Carrots with Artichoke Hearts and Mushrooms]

54 lb. quartered fresh mush-
rooms
1 Tb oil
1 54 Tb butter
Salt and pepper

In a skillet, saute the mushrooms in hot oil and butter
for 4 to 5 minutes until very lightly browned. Season
with salt and pepper.

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

3 or 4 cooked fresh artichoke
hearts cut into quarters,
page 431 (or cooked fro-
zen artichoke hearts, page
434 )

1 54 lbs. carrots braised in
butter, page 477

Stir the shallots or onions and the cooked fresh arti-
choke hearts into the mushrooms and toss for 2 to 3
minutes over moderately high heat. (If you are using
frozen artichoke hearts, cook them separately, then
add them directly to the carrots.) Fold or toss the
artichoke hearts and mushrooms into the carrots.

54 cup good brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
Salt and pepper

Pour the stock or bouillon into the vegetables. Cover
and boil slowly for 4 to 5 minutes until the stock has
almost completely evaporated. Correct seasoning.

CARROTS

479

A hot vegetable dish Turn into a hot vegetable dish and sprinkle with the

2 Tb minced parsley, cher- herbs,
vil, and chives, or parsley
only

CAROTTES GLACEES

[Glazed Carrots]

Glazed carrots receive the same type of cooking process as braised carrots;
the only difference is that they are cooked in stock instead of water, and more
butter and sugar are used so that the liquid reduces to a syrupy glaze in the
bottom of the pan. Just before serving, the carrots are rolled about in the syrup
so each piece is shiny with glaze.

For 6 people

i /4 lbs. carrots, peeled,
quartered and cut into 2-
inch lengths (554 cups)

A 254-quart, heavy-bot-
tomed, enameled sauce-
pan with cover
1 54 cups good brown stock
or canned beef bouillon
2 Tb granulated sugar
Pinch of pepper
6 Tb butter
Salt and pepper

Boil the carrots slowly in the covered saucepan with
the stock or bouillon, sugar, pepper, and butter for 30
to 40 minutes until the carrots are tender and the
liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze. Correct season-
ing.

A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb very finely minced
parsley

Reheat just before serving and roll the carrots gently
in the pan to coat them with syrup. Turn into a hot
vegetable dish or arrange them around your roast, and
sprinkle with parsley.

CAROTTES VICHY

[Carrots Vichy]

The recipe for carrots Vichy is exactly the same as that for the preceding
glazed carrots except that in place of stock you would use bottled Vichy water
(or plain bottled water with a pinch of soda). The assumption is that pure
noncalcareous bottled water produces a more delicate carrot.

480

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

CAROTTES A LA CONCIERGE

[Casserole of Creamed Carrots with Onions and Garlic]

This hearty dish of carrots goes nicely with red meats, pork, sausages,
or plain roast chicken. It can also constitute a meatless main-course dish.

For 6 people

i'/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and
cut into '/4-inch slices (5V2
cups)

Vi lb. (1V2 cups) sliced on-
ions

4 Tb olive oil

A 2 '/2-quart, heavy-bot-
tomed, enameled sauce-
pan with cover

Cook the carrots, onions, and olive oil slowly in the
covered saucepan, tossing occasionally, for about 30
minutes. The vegetables should be tender but not
browned.

A large clove mashed garlic

Add the garlic for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

1 Tb flour

Toss the vegetables with the flour and cook 3 minutes
more.

% cup boiling brown stock
or canned beef bouillon
} A cup boiling milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp granulated sugar
Pinch of nutmeg

Off heat, fold in the boiling stock or bouillon, then
the milk, and finally the seasonings. Simmer uncov-
ered for about 20 minutes or until the liquid has re
duced to about a third of its volume and has thick-
ened into a light cream. Correct seasoning.

2 egg yolks blended with 4
Tb whipping cream
A rubber spatula
A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb minced parsley

Off heat and just before serving, use the spatula to
fold in the egg yolks and cream. Shake and swirl
saucepan over low heat until the egg yolks have
thickened but be careful not to bring them near the
simmer or they may coagulate. Turn into a hot vege-
table dish and sprinkle with parsley.

ONIONS

Oignons

It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions; in one form or another
their flavor blends into almost everything in the meal except the dessert. We

ONIONS

481

shall concentrate here on the small, whole, cooked, white onions which are
so often called for as a vegetable garnish. When they are used in stews and
fricassees it is generally advisable that they be cooked separately so you are
sure they will be tender and retain their shape.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of small onions will serve 3 or 4 people if they constitute a
principal vegetable dish. If they are used as a garnish or in a mixture with
other vegetables, count on 3 or 4 small onions per person.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

The quickest, neatest, and least tearful way to peel small white onions is
to drop them into a saucepan of rapidly boiling water and leave them for 5 to
10 seconds, just long enough for their skins to loosen. Drain. Run cold water
over diem. Trim off the top and bottom portions, removing only a little bit so
as not to disturb the onion layers. Then slip off the outside skin and the first
onion layer with your fingers. Pierce a cross in the root ends so that the onions
will cook evenly without bursting.

If the onions are old and very strongly flavored, or if for digestive reasons
you wish to make them milder, drop them into boiling, salted water and boil
slowly for 5 minutes before proceeding with a recipe.

To remove onion flavor from your hands, wash them in cold water, rub
them with salt, rinse again in cold water, then wash in soap and warm water.

* OIGNONS GLACES A BLANC

[White-braised Onions — Glazed Onions]

White-braised onions may be served as they are, or they may be sim-
mered for a moment in a good cream sauce. Use them also as a garnish for
fricassees or blanquettes.

For 18 to 24 peeled white
onions about 1 inch in di-
ameter:

A heavy-bottomed, enam-
eled saucepan or skillet

Place the onions in the saucepan or skillet with the
liquid, butter, seasonings, and herb bouquet. Cover
and simmer very slowly, rolling the onions in the
saucepan from time to time, for 40 to 50 minutes. The
onions should not color, and should be perfectly

482

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

which will just hold the
onions in one layer
V2 cup white stock, canned
chicken broth, dry white
wine, or water
2 Tb butter
Salt and pepper to taste
A small herb bouquet: 2
parsley sprigs, Vs tsp
thyme, and l A bay leaf
tied in cheesecloth

tender yet retain their shape. If all the liquid evapo-
rates during the cooking, add more by spoonfuls as
necessary. Remove herb bouquet.

(*) May be cooked several hours in advance, reheated,
and served as in the following suggestions.

TO SERVE

Petits Oignons Persilles
[Parslied Onions]

These go particularly well with chicken, veal, or fish in cream sauce.

2 Tb softened butter Just before serving the onions, correct seasoning. Off

A warm vegetable dish heat, roll them with the softened butter. Turn into a
2 Tb minced parsley warm vegetable dish and sprinkle with parsley.

Petits Oignons a la Creme
[Creamed Onions]

Serve creamed onions with roast veal, chicken, or turkey, chops, steaks,
or hamburgers, sauteed veal, chicken, or liver.

(For 2 lbs. of white-braised onions, serving 6 people.)

2 cups sauce creme ( becha-
mel with cream), page
59

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

2 Tb minced parsley
A hot vegetable dish

Fold the cream sauce into the braised onions and
simmer for 5 minutes. Correct seasoning. Off heat,
fold in the butter. Turn into a hot vegetable dish and
sprinkle with parsley.

ONIONS

483

* OIGNONS GLACES A BRUN

[Brown-braised Onions]

Brown-braised onions are used whenever you wish a brown effect, such
as in brown fricassees like coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon, or in a mixture

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet,
add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about
10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will
brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break
their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uni-
formly.

with other vegetables.

For 18 to 24 peeled white
onions about 1 inch in di-
ameter:

1/2 Tb butter
1V2 Tb oil

A 9- to 10-inch enameled
skillet

V2 cup of brown stock,
canned beef bouillon, dry
white wine, red wine, or
water

Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4
parsley sprigs, V2 bay leaf,
and V4 tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

Then either braise them as jollows:

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb
bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 min-
utes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain
their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove
herb bouquet. Serve them as they are, or follow one
of the suggestions at the end of the recipe.

Or bake them as jollows:

Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow
baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold
them in one layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a
preheated 350-degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turn-
ing them over once or twice. They should be very
tender, retain their shape, and be a nice golden brown.
Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are or ac-
cording to one of the following suggestions.

( # ) The onions may be cooked hours in advance, and
reheated before serving.

484

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

TO SERVE

Petits Oignons Persilles

[Parslied Onions]

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Roll the hot onions gently in the butter. Turn into a

A hot vegetable dish

hot vegetable dish or place them around your roast,

1 Tb minced parsley

and sprinkle with parsley.

Petits Oignons en
[Vegetable Mixtures]

Garniture

Braised onions go nicely mixed with other vegetables
such as glazed carrots, sauteed mushrooms, artichoke
hearts, and sauteed potatoes.

CANNED ONIONS

All the brands of canned “small boiled onions” we have tried have tasted,
to us, rather unpleasantly sweetish and overacidulated; they also need more
cooking to make them tender. However they are so useful in an emergency
that we offer the following treatment which improves them considerably.

For each No. 2 can of small
boiled onions (i !4 lbs. or
2/2 cups):

2 Tb butter

’/4 cup stock, canned beef
bouillon, or mushroom
broth

Salt and pepper to taste
A small herb bouquet: 2
parsley sprigs, Vi bay leaf,
and Vt tsp thyme ded in
cheesecloth

Drain the onions. Drop them into boiling water, bring
back to the boil and boil 1 minute. Drain. This re-
moves some of the canned taste. Then simmer them
slowly in a covered saucepan for 10 to 15 minutes with
the butter, stock, seasonings, and herb bouquet until
they are very tender and the liquid has evaporated.

ONIONS

485

SOUBISE

[Braised Rice and Onions]

This is a savory mixture of sliced onions, rice, and butter cooked slowly
together until they melt into a puree. The natural moisture of the onions is
sufficient to cook the rice; no other liquid is needed. Soubise is particularly
good with veal or chicken, or boiled leg of lamb a I’anglaise. It may be turned
into a sauce soubise by pureeing it with a sauce bechamel or veloute and en-
riching it with cream.

For 6 people

V2 cup rice

4 quarts rapidly boiling wa-
ter

1/2 Tb salt

4 Tb butter

A 3-quart, fireproof casse-
role

2 lbs. (6 to 7 cups) thinly
sliced yellow onions
Vi tsp salt
% tsp pepper
Salt and pepper

Vt cup whipping cream
l A cup grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb softened butter
A hot vegetable dish
1 Tb minced parsley

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Drop the rice into the boiling salted water and boil
for 5 minutes exactly. Drain immediately.

When the butter is foaming in the casserole, stir in the
onions. As soon as they are well coated with butter,
stir in the rice and seasonings. Cover and cook very
slowly in the 300-degree oven for about 1 hour, stirring
occasionally. The rice and onions should become very
tender and will usually turn a light golden yellow.
Correct seasoning.

(*) May be cooked several hours in advance and re-
heated later.

Just before serving, stir in the cream and cheese, and
then the butter. Taste again for seasoning. Turn into
a hot vegetable dish and sprinkle with parsley.

TURNIPS

Navets

The turnip is a wonderful vegetable when given the treatment required
to bring out its delicious qualities. It wants and needs to absorb butter or meat

486

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

fats, which is why turnips are particularly succulent when finished off in a
stew or a braised dish, or in the juices of roasting meat. In France rutabagas,
or yellow turnips, are practically unheard of as food for humans, but they may
be used interchangeably with white turnips.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

The full flavor of turnips goes well with pork, sausages, ham, goose, and
duck.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound of turnips without tops will serve 3 or 4 people. A pound
of raw sliced or quartered turnips measures about 3*4 cups.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Small, tender, early-crop turnips, usually sold in bunches with their tops
attached, are trimmed, peeled, and set to cook with no preliminary blanching.
The older and stronger winter turnips and rutabagas, always sold without
tops, are peeled fairly deeply with a knife, and are cut into slices or quarters.
Quarters may be trimmed into neat ovals the shape of large garlic cloves, called
in French tourner en gousses or en olives. Any turnips which are woody or
fibrous should be discarded.

PRELIMINARY BLANCHING

After peeling and cutting winter turnips or rutabagas, place them in a
saucepan with salted water to cover them by 2 inches, bring to the boil and
boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are partially tender. Drain them. This re-
moves some of their overly strong taste. The following recipes are based on
winter turnips; omit die blanching step if your turnips are young and tender.

* NAVETS A L’ETUVEE

[Turnips Braised in Butter]

Braised turnips may be served by themselves or combined with other
vegetables. Their final cooking may be done around a roast or in a braised
dish or a fricassee.

For 6 people

TURNIPS

487

2 lbs. turnips, peeled and
quartered (7 to 8 cups)

A heavy-bottomed, 3-quart,
enameled saucepan
2 Tb butter

1 to i'A cups stock, canned
beef or chicken bouillon,
or water

Salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the turnips for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling salted
water to cover. Drain, and place them in the saucepan
with the butter and enough liquid barely to cover
them. Season lightly. Cover and boil slowly for 20 to
30 minutes or until they are tender but retain their
shape. If the liquid has not evaporated, uncover and
boil it off. Correct seasoning.

(*) May be cooked several hours in advance of serv-
ing.

TO SERVE

Navets Persilles

[Parslied Turnips]

2 Tb softened butter Just before serving, toss the hot turnips gently with

Optional: Drops of lemon the butter, optional lemon juice, and parsley. Turn

juice to taste into the vegetable dish.

2 Tb minced parsley
A hot vegetable dish

VARIATION

Puree de Navets Parmentier

[Turnip and Potato Puree]

Serve this puree with roast turkey, duck, goose, ham, pork, or pork chops
or sausages.

For 6 people

7 to 8 cups turnips braised
in butter (the preceding
master recipe)

2 cups warm mashed pota-
toes

4 Tb softened butter
Salt and pepper
A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb minced parsley

Puree the turnips and beat them into the mashed
potatoes. Beat the puree in a saucepan over moderate
heat to evaporate moisture and to heat thoroughly.
Off heat and just before serving, beat in the butter.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn into a hot
vegetable dish and sprinkle with parsley.

488

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

* NAVETS GLACES A BRUN

[Glazed Turnips]

Glazed turnips are used to garnish a roast, or may be served as a separate
vegetable. It is essentially the same procedure as that for braised turnips, except
they are browned before being simmered, and are cooked with sugar and more
butter to reduce the liquid to a glaze.

For 6 people

2 lbs. turnips, peeled and Blanch the turnips for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling salted
quartered (7 to 8 cups) water to cover. Drain, and dry them in a towel.

A 10- to 12-inch enameled
skillet

2 Tb butter and 2 Tb oil, or
4 Tb rendered fresh pork
or goose fat

1 to i'/2 cups stock or canned
beef bouillon

2 Tb butter

3 Tb granulated sugar

Saute the turnips in hot butter and oil, or in fat, for
3 to 4 minutes to brown them lightly. Pour in enough
stock or bouillon barely to cover them. Add the butter
and sugar. Cover and boil slowly for 20 to 30 minutes
or until the turnips are tender but retain their shape.
Correct seasoning.

(*) When cooked in advance, set aside uncovered. Be-
fore serving, add a tablespoon of water, if necessary,
and reheat in covered saucepan.

A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb very finely minced
parsley

If the liquid has not reduced to a syrupy glaze, un-
cover and boil it down rapidly. Gently toss the turnips
to coat them with the glaze. Turn them into a hot
vegetable dish or heap them around your roast, and
sprinkle with parsley.

NAVETS A LA CHAMPEN OISE

[Turnip Casserole]

People who disdain the turnip almost invariably revise their opinion after
tasting this dish. It goes admirably with roast pork, beef, duck, goose, turkey,
ham, or grilled sausages. (Yellow turnips or rutabagas do well here.)

For 6 to 8 people

2.Z2 lbs. turnips, peeled and Blanch the turnips for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling salted
cut into quarters (8 to 9 water to cover. Drain,
cups)

TURNIPS

489

A 54 -lb. chunk of bacon Remove the rind and cut the bacon into /- inch dice,

making about % cup. Simmer for 10 minutes in a
quart of water. Drain.

A 3-quart, fireproof casse-
role about 2 inches deep
1 Tb butter

2 / cup finely diced onions

Saute the bacon in the butter for several minutes un-
til very lightly browned. Stir in the onions, cover, and
cook slowly for 5 minutes without browning the on-
ions.

1 Tb flour

Blend in the flour and cook slowly for 2 minutes.

54 cup stock or canned beef
bouillon
54 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
54 tsp sage

Off heat, blend in the stock or bouillon, seasonings to
taste, and the sage. Simmer for a moment, then fold
in the turnips. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 30
minutes or until the turnips are tender. If sauce is too
liquid, uncover and boil slowly for several minutes
until it has reduced and thickened. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be cooked several hours in advance and re-
heated later.

2 Tb minced parsley

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

BRAISED VEGETABLES

Legumes Braisees

LETTUCE, CELERY, ENDIVE, AND LEEKS

Laitues, Celeris, Endives, et Poireaux

The braising of lettuce, celery, endive, or leeks requires a relatively long,
slow cooking, usually of an hour and a half or more, before the desired inter-
change of flavors between the vegetable and its braising medium can take
place. It is this culinary osmosis which gives them the delicious flavor they
should always have. Any one of these vegetables may be braised, set aside un-
covered to cool, then covered and reheated several hours or even a day later.

LAITUES BRAISEES

[Braised Lettuce]

Plain boiled lettuce is dreadfully uninteresting, but lettuce braised slowly
in stock and herbs is a marvelous dish. It goes well with roast veal, roast beef,

490

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

and roast chicken. It can also be combined with other vegetables such as
grilled tomatoes and sauteed potatoes to garnish a meat platter.

Boston lettuce, chicory, and escarole are all equally good for braising.
Count on one 6- to 8-inch head per person.

For 6 people

6 heads of lettuce, 6 to 8 Trim the stems of the lettuce and remove wilted
inches in diameter leaves. Two at a time, hold each head by its stem and

plunge up and down gently in cold water to remove
all traces of sand.

A large kettle containing 7
to 8 quarts of boiling wa-
ter

1/2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

Salt and pepper

Plunge three of the heads in the boiling salted water.
Bring rapidly back to the boil and boil slowly, un-
covered, for 3 to 5 minutes until the heads have wilted.
Remove and plunge for 2 to 3 minutes in a large
basin of cold water. Repeat with the remaining lettuce.
A head at a time, squeeze gently but firmly in both
hands to eliminate as much water as you can. Slice
each head in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Fold in half crosswise and shape with your
hands to make fat triangles.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6 thick slices of bacon
A 4-inch square of bacon
rind

Simmer the bacon and rind in a quart of water for 10
minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry.

A 12-inch, fireproof, covered
casserole

V2 cup sliced onions
Z2 cup sliced carrots
3 Tb butter

In the casserole cook the onions and carrots slowly
with the butter until tender but not browned. Push
them to the sides of the casserole and arrange the let-
tuce triangles in the bottom, closely pressed against
each other. Spread part of the vegetables over the let-
tuce, then the bacon and bacon rind.

About 2 cups good beef
stock or canned beef
bouillon, plus, if you wish,
V2 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth
A medium herb bouquet:
4 parsley sprigs, Z* tsp

Pour in enough liquid barely to cover the lettuce. Add
the herb bouquet. Bring to the simmer on top of the
stove. Place the buttered paper over the lettuce, cover
the casserole, and set in lower third of preheated oven.
Regulate heat so lettuce simmers slowly for i / 2 hours.

LETTUCE AND CELERY

491

thyme, and V 2 bay leaf
tied in cheesecloth
A round of buttered paper

A lightly buttered serving
dish

Remove the lettuce to the serving dish and keep it
warm. Quickly boil down the braising liquid until it
has reduced to a syrup (about f 2 cup).

2 Tb butter

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley

Off heat, swirl the butter into the sauce, then strain it
over the lettuce, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

(*) If done in advance, do not sauce the lettuce until
the last moment. Boil down the braising liquid and
strain it into a saucepan. Reheat the lettuce by cover-
ing with buttered foil and setting it for about 15
minutes in a 350-degree oven. Just before serving,
butter the sauce and pour it over the lettuce.

CELERIS BRAISES

[Braised Celery]

Except for slight differences at the beginning and at the end, celery is
braised in the same way as lettuce, so we shall not give it a full recipe. Serve
braised celery with chops, steaks, roast beef, turkey, goose, duck, pork, or lamb.
For 6 people

6 bunches of tender, practi-
cally stringless celery
about 2 inches in diameter
A kettle containing 7 to 8
quarts boiling water
1V2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

White string

Trim the roots, and cut off the tops to make each
celery bunch 6 to 7 inches long. Wash thoroughly,
using warm water if necessary : spread the stalks apart
gently while running water all the way down to the
root to remove all grit. Drop into the boiling, salted
water and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Drain. Plunge
for 2 to 3 minutes in a basin of cold water. Drain, and
gently extract as much water as possible by pressing
each bunch in a towel. Tie each with 2 or 3 loops of
white string to keep the stalks in place while braising.

The same ingredients as for
braised lettuce (preceding
recipe)

A lightly buttered baking or
serving dish

Following the method for the preceding braised let-
tuce, arrange the celery in a casserole or baking dish
large enough to hold it in one layer. Cover with
blanched bacon strips and cooked vegetables. Add the
wine and enough stock just to cover the celery. Season

492

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

lightly and add the herb bouquet. Cover, bring to the
simmer, and bake for iy 2 hours in a 350-degree oven.
Then uncover the casserole, raise oven heat to 400 de-
grees, and bake 30 minutes more, basting 2 or 3 times,
until the celery has browned lightly. Drain the celery,
remove strings, cut bunches in half lengthwise, and
arrange in dish. Cover and keep warm if to be served
immediately.

x Tb arrowroot (or po-
tato starch or cornstarch)
blended with 2 Tb Ma-
deira, port, stock, or bouil-
lon

Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan and boil it
down rapidly until it has reduced to 1 cup. Off heat,
beat in the starch mixture. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Correct seasoning.

2 Tb softened butter Off heat and just before serving, beat the butter into

2 Tb minced parsley the sauce. Pour it over the hot celery and sprinkle

with parsley.

(*) May be cooked ahead; see preceding recipe for
braised lettuce.

VARIATION

Cold Braised Celery

Degrease the braising liquid thoroughly before you reduce it. Omit the
starch and the enrichment butter.

CELERI-RAVE BRAISE

[Braised Celeriac — Celery Root]

Celeriac, a delicious winter vegetable, is not nearly as common in Ameri-
can markets as it should be. Besides braising it in stock as in the following
recipe, you may treat it exactly like the turnips on page 486, cooking it slowly
in a small amount of liquid, butter, and seasonings, and serving it with butter
and parsley, or pureed with mashed potatoes. Celeriac may accompany roast
goose, duck, pork, ham, or turkey.

For 6 people

2 lbs. celeriac

Peel the celeriac and cut it into slices y 2 inch thick;
you will have 7 to 8 cups. Drop it into a saucepan

CELERY ROOT

493

with boiling salted water to cover, and boil slowly
for 5 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A %-lb chunk of bacon, rind Cut the bacon into ’/-inch dice; you will have about

removed % cup. Simmer 10 minutes in a quart of water. Drain.

2 /i cup minced onions
x Tb butter

A 3-quart, fireproof casse-
role

1 to 1 54 cups brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
Optional: 54 cup dry white
wine or dry white ver-
mouth in place of 54 cup
stock

Salt and pepper

Cook the onions, and bacon in butter slowly in the
casserole for 10 minutes without browning. Arrange
the celeriac in the casserole and spread the onions and
bacon over it. Pour in enough liquid barely to cover
the celeriac. Season lightly.

A round of buttered alumi-
num foil
A bulb baster
2 Tb minced parsley

Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover
loosely with the foil. Set in upper third of preheated
oven and bake for about 1 hour, basting 2 or 3 times
with a bulb baster. The celeriac is done when it is
very tender, has browned lightly, and the liquid has
almost evaporated. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

* ENDIVES A LA FLAMANDE

[Braised Belgian Endive]

It is too bad Belgian endive is so expensive in this country, as it is one of
the better winter vegetables. The plain butter-braise is, in our opinion, the
most delicious way of cooking endive. It emerges a beautiful light golden color
and its characteristic flavor is enhanced by its slow absorption of the butter.
Endive goes particularly well with veal.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

12 firm, medium-sized cn- Trim the base of the endives. Discard any withered
dives with tightly closed leaves. Wash one by one rapidly under running cold
leaves water. Drain.

494

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

5 Tb butter

A 2 fir to 3-quart enameled
casserole
14 tsp salt
i Tb lemon juice
!4 cup water

Smear i / tablespoons butter in the casserole. Lay the
endives in it in two layers. Sprinkle each layer with
salt and lemon juice, and dot with butter. Pour in the
water. Cover and boil slowly for io minutes. Uncover
and boil rapidly for about io minutes or until liquid
is reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons.

A round of buttered paper
EITHER:

2 Tb minced parsley
A hot vegetable dish
OR:

A shallow baking dish
2 Tb melted butter
2 Tb minced parsley

Lay the paper over the endives, cover the casserole,
and bake in middle level of preheated oven for 1 hour.
Remove casserole cover but leave paper in place, and
bake 30 minutes more or until endives are a nice
golden yellow. Either arrange the endives in a hot
vegetable dish or around your roast, and sprinkle with
parsley, or, for a more golden effect, arrange them in
a baking dish, baste with melted butter, and brown
briefly under the broiler. Sprinkle with parsley just
before serving.

VARIATION

Endives Gratinees

[Endives Gratineed with Cheese]

Butter-braised endives are also good when sauced and browned under
the broiler. For a main-course dish, wrap each endive in a thin slice of boiled
ham before saucing. See also the quiche aux endives on page 152, and die
gratin d’ endives on page 156.

For 6 people

2 cups sauce creme or
sauce mornay (bechamel
with cream, page 59, or
with cheese, page 61)

A shallow, lightly buttered
baking dish

12 endives butter-braised as
in the preceding recipe
2 to 3 Tb grated Swiss
cheese

1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Spread a third of the sauce in the baking dish. Ar-
range the braised endives over it, and pour the rest
of the sauce over them. Sprinkle with cheese and dot
with butter.

ENDIVE AND LEEKS

495

Shortly before serving, set under a moderately hot
broiler to reheat thoroughly and brown the cheese
lightly.

* POIRE AUX BRAISES AU BEURRE

[Braised Leeks]

Braised leeks are a fine accompaniment to roast beef, steaks, or turkey.

For 6 people

12 fine fresh leeks about 1V2
inches in diameter
A covered, fireproof casse-
role or baking dish, square
or oval, and long enough
to hold the trimmed leeks
3 to 4 cups water
6 Tb butter
V2 Tb salt

Trim off the roots, remove any withered leaves, and
slit the green part of the leeks lengthwise two ways.
Wash thoroughly under running water, spreading
leaves apart. Cut off a portion of the green tops to
leave the leeks about 7 inches long. Lay the leeks in
the casserole, making 2 or 3 layers. Pour in enough
water to come two thirds the way up the layers of
leeks. Add the butter and salt.

Set over high heat and bring to the boil. Partially
cover, leaving a e-inch space to allow steam to es-
cape, and maintain liquid at a fairly fast boil. As
leeks soften, water will just cover them. In 30 to 40
minutes, the white part of the leeks should be tender
when pierced with a knife, and the liquid should have
almost evaporated.

A shallow, fireproof baking Transfer the leeks to the baking dish, and pour the
and serving dish remaining cooking juices over them.

Aluminum foil Half an hour before serving, cover loosely with

2 to 3 Tb chopped parsley aluminum foil and set in the middle level of a pre-

heated, 325-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until
the leeks have taken on a light golden color. Sprinkle
with parsley and serve.

( # ) After their baking, the leeks may be set aside un-
covered, and reheated later.

496

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

VARIATIONS

Poireaux Gratifies an Pro mage
[Leeks Browned with Cheese]

The preceding braised leeks
'/2 cup grated Swiss, or
Swiss and Parmesan
cheese, or mixture of
cheese and bread crumbs
3 Tb melted butter

After the braised leeks have browned lightly in the
oven, sprinkle them with the cheese or cheese and
bread crumbs. Pour the butter over them. Run for 2
to 3 minutes under a moderately hot broiler to brown
the cheese lightly.

Poireaux a la Mornay, Gratifies
[Leeks Browned with Cheese Sauce]

The braised leeks in the pre-
ceding master recipe
2/2 cups sauce mornay
bechamel with cheese),
page 61

V4 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

After the braised leeks have browned very lightly in
the oven, pour the sauce mornay over them, sprinkle
on the cheese, dot with the butter. Run under a
moderately hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown
the top of the sauce lightly.

RED CABBAGE AND SAUERKRAUT

Chou Rouge et Choucroute

Both braised red cabbage and braised sauerkraut need 4 to 5 hours of
slow cooking for diem to develop their full flavor. Once they have been set
in the oven they need little or no attention, and are even better when cooked
in advance and reheated the next day.

CHOU ROUGE A LA LIMOUSINE

[Braised Red Cabbage with Red Wine and Chestnuts]

Red cabbage braised in this fashion is a fine dish to serve with roast goose,
duck, pork, venison, or wild boar. Or you may cook the meat in the casserole

RED CABBAGE

497

with the cabbage, see the recipe for duck on page 280. All red vegetables must
cook with something acid to retain their color; thus the tart apples and red
wine in the following recipe.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A 14 -lb. chunk of bacon Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons, strips

1/2 inches long and *4 inch across. You will have
about % cup. Simmer for 10 minutes in 1 quart of
water. Drain.

y 2 cup thinly sliced carrots Cook the bacon, carrots, and onions, in fat or butter
1 cup sliced onions slowly in the covered casserole for 10 minutes without

3 Tb rendered fresh goose browning.

or pork fat, or butter
A 5- to 6-quart, covered,
fireproof casserole

2 lbs. (6 to 7 cups) red cab-
bage leaves cut into 14 -
inch slices

Stir in the cabbage leaves and when well covered with
the fat and vegetables, cover and cook slowly for 10
minutes.

2 cups diced tart apples
2 cloves mashed garlic
14 tsp ground bay leaf
14 tsp clove
14 tsp nutmeg
14 tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper

2 cups good, young red wine
(Bordeaux, Macon, or
Chianti)

2 cups brown stock or
canned beef bouillon

Stir in all the ingredients listed at the left. Bring to the
simmer on top of the stove. Cover and place in middle
level of preheated oven. Regulate heat so cabbage bub-
bles slowly for 3 to 3V2 hours.

24 peeled chestnuts, page Add the chestnuts to the cabbage, cover and return
1^8 casserole to oven for 1 to i l / 2 hours more, or until the

Salt and pepper chestnuts are tender and all the liquid in the casserole

has been absorbed by the cabbage. Taste carefully for
seasoning, and serve as follows:

(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered
Reheat slowly before serving.

49 8

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

4 or 5 sprigs of parsley Turn into a vegetable dish or heap around your meat,
A hot vegetable dish anc j decorate w i t h parsley.

CHOUCROUTE BRAISEE A V ALS ACIENNE

[Braised Sauerkraut]

In France before sauerkraut is braised with wine, stock, aromatic vege-
tables, and spices, it is always drained and soaked in cold water for 15 to 20
minutes to remove all but a suggestion of its preserving brine. If you have
never cared much for the sour flavor of most sauerkraut dishes, this recipe
may well change you into an enthusiast. Sauerkraut makes a most savory ac-
companiment to duck, goose, pheasant, pork, ham, or sausages any of which
may even cook along with the sauerkraut and give it that much more flavor.

For 6 people

2 lbs. (about 5 cups) fresh
sauerkraut (canned raw
sauerkraut may be used,
but it is never as good as
the fresh)

Drain the sauerkraut (either fresh or canned) and
soak it in a large basin of cold water for 15 to 20
minutes or more, changing the water three times.
Taste the sauerkraut, and when as much of the briny
flavor as you wish has been removed, drain it. Taking
it by small handfuls, squeeze out as much water as
you can. Pick it apart to separate the strands.

A '/2-lb. chunk of bacon Remove the rind and slice the bacon into '/2-inch

pieces about 2 inches long. Simmer it in 2 quarts of
water for 10 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Z2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup sliced onions
4 Tb rendered fresh goose or
pork fat, or butter
A 2^2- to 3-quart, covered,
fireproof casserole

Cook the bacon, carrots, and onions, in fat or butter
slowly in the covered casserole for 10 minutes without
browning. Stir in the sauerkraut and when it is well
covered with the fat and vegetables, cover and cook
slowly for 10 minutes more.

The following tied in
washed cheesecloth:

4 sprigs of parsley
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns

Bury the herb and spice packet in the sauerkraut.
Pour in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon just
to cover the sauerkraut. Season lightly with salt.
Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Lay on the
round of buttered paper. Cover and set in middle

SAUERKRAUT

499

io juniper berries (or add
14 cup gin to the casse-
role)

1 cup dry white wine or %
cup dry white vermouth

2 to 3 cups white stock,
brown stock, or canned
beef or chicken bouillon

Salt

A round of buttered paper

level of preheated oven. Regulate heat so sauerkraut
bubbles slowly for 4% to 5 hours, and until all the
liquid has been absorbed by the sauerkraut. Taste
carefully for seasoning.

(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered
Reheat slowly before serving.

TO SERVE

Choucroute Garnie

[Sauerkraut Garnished with Meat]

Braised sauerkraut may be used as a bed for sliced roast pork, pork chops,
ham, or browned sausages, or with roast goose, duck, or pheasant. The dish
is usually accompanied with boiled potatoes and either a chilled Alsatian wine
such as Riesling or Traminer, a white domestic wine of the same type, or beer.

If you wish to cook your meats in the sauerkraut, brown them first in a
skillet in hot fat; then bury them in the casserole while the sauerkraut is brais-
ing, timing the meats so they and the sauerkraut will be done together. See
die recipe for duck braised in sauerkraut on page 280.

CUCUMBERS

Concombrcs

* CONCOMBRES AU BEURRE

[Baked Cucumbers]

If the natural moisture content is not withdrawn beforehand, cucumbers
exude so much water as they are heated that you usually end up with a tasteless
mush and swear never to attempt cooked cucumbers again. Blanching for 5
minutes before cooking will remove unwanted water, but also most of the
cucumber flavor. A preliminary sojourn in salt draws out the water and also
the bitterness, if they are of the bitter European type, yet leaves the flavor,
which a little vinegar and a pinch of sugar accentuates. We have found die

500

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

following method delicious, and suggest it for all cooked cucumber recipes.
Baked cucumbers go with roast, broiled, or sauteed chicken, roast veal, veal
.chops or scallops, and sauteed brains or sweetbreads.

For 6 people

6 cucumbers about 8 inches Peel the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop
long out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into lengthwise strips

about % inch wide. Cut the strips into 2-inch pieces.

2 Tb wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Za tsp sugar

A 2 '/2-quart porcelain or
stainless steel bowl

Toss the cucumbers in a bowl with the vinegar, salt,
and sugar. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or for
several hours. Drain. Pat dry in a towel.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

A baking dish 12 inches in
diameter and 1Z2 inches
deep

3 Tb melted butter
Z2 tsp dill or basil
3 to 4 Tb minced green on-
ions

Za tsp pepper

Toss the cucumbers in the baking dish with the but-
ter, herbs, onions, and pepper. Set uncovered in mid-
dle level of preheated oven for about 1 hour, tossing 2
or 3 times, until cucumbers are tender but still have a
suggestion of crispness and texture. They will barely
color during the cooking.

(*) Set aside uncovered; reheat before serving as in
the following suggestions.

TO SERVE

Concombres Persilles

[Parslied Cucumbers]

A hot vegetable dish Turn the baked cucumbers into the vegetable dish,

2 Tb minced parsley sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve.

Concombres d la Creme

[Creamed Cucumbers]

1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
1 Tb minced parsley

Boil the cream in a small saucepan until it has re-
duced by half. Season with salt and pepper, fold into
the hot, baked cucumbers, sprinkle with parsley, and

serve.

CUCUMBERS

501

Concombres aux Champignons et a la Creme
[Creamed Cucumbers with Mushrooms]

Zi lb. fresh mushrooms
An enameled skillet
1 cup whipping cream

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with
1 tsp water

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tb minced parsley

Trim, wash, and quarter the mushrooms. Dry in a
towel. Set them in the dry skillet and toss over
moderately low heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the
cream and cornstarch mixture; boil slowly for 5
minutes or so, until cream has reduced and thickened.
Stir in salt and pepper, simmer a moment and check
seasoning. Fold into the hot baked cucumbers, sprinkle
with parsley, and serve.

Concombres a la Mornay
[Cucumbers with Cheese Sauce]

i'/2 cups sauce mornay Fold the cheese sauce into the hot, baked cucumbers,
(bechamel with grated Sprinkle with cheese, dot with butter, and run under
cheese), page 61 a hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown top delicately.

2 to 3 Tb grated Swiss
cheese

1 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

EGGPLANT

Aubergines

Eggplants, like cucumbers, contain a considerable amount of water which
must be removed before cooking; in their raw state they also have a bitter,
puckery quality. The most satisfactory way to remove both moisture and bitter-
ness yet retain flavor is to let them stand in salt for about half an hour.

AUBERGINES FARCIES DUXELLES

[Eggplant Stuffed with Mushrooms]

This excellent eggplant dish goes with roast lamb, lamb chops, or roast,
sauteed, or broiled chicken. Or it may be a separate vegetable course. Prepara-

502

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

tion is somewhat long, as it is for many good things, but you may have the
dish ready for the oven several hours or even the day before baking it.

For 6 people — 1 2, if the eggplants are divided as they are served

3 eggplants about 6 inches
long and 3 inches in di-
ameter

Remove the green stem covering and cut the egg-
plants in half lengthwise. Cut striations an inch apart
in the flesh, going down to within % inch of the skin.
Preheat broiler in time for paragraph three.

1 Tb salt

2 Tb olive oil

A shallow roasting pan large
large enough to hold egg-
plant halves in one layer

A 3-quart mixing bowl

1 cup finely minced yellow
onions

i’/2 Tb olive oil or butter

A 9- to 10-inch enameled
skillet

Salt and pepper

1 lb. finely minced fresh
mushrooms

3 Tb butter

1 Tb olive oil

Salt and pepper

1V2 packages (4'/2 ounces)
cream cheese

4 Tb minced parsley

Z2 tsp basil or !4 tsp thyme

Sprinkle the flesh with salt and lay the eggplants
flesh down on a towel for half an hour. Gently squeeze
them to extract as much water as possible. Dry them,
then dribble the oil over them.

Place them flesh-side up in a roasting pan and pour %
inch of water around them. Set them so their flesh is
4 to 5 inches from preheated, moderately hot broiler
for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender, and lightly browned
on top.

Leaving the skin intact, remove all but '/ inch of the
eggplant meat with a spoon. Chop it and place it in
a mixing bowl.

NOTE: In the following stuffing, you may, if you
wish, substitute for part of the mushrooms 1 cup of
rice steamed in butter, page 531.

Cook the onions slowly in the oil or butter in a skillet
for about 10 minutes until very tender but not
browned. Season lightly and add to the eggplant in
the mixing bowl.

Following the recipe for mushroom duxclles on page
515, twist the mushrooms, a handful at a time, in the
corner of a towel to extract their juice. Saute them in
butter and oil until very lightly browned (5 to 6
minutes). Season and add to the mixing bowl.

Mash the cheese with a fork, then beat it into the mix-
ing bowl. Beat in the herbs, and taste carefully for
seasoning.

EGGPLANT

503

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
mixed with 3 Tb fine, dry,
white bread crumbs
2 to 3 Tb melted butter

Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture. Top with
cheese and bread crumbs, and baste each half with
melted butter.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point.

About 40 minutes before serving, arrange in roasting
pan and surround with % inch of water. Bake in up-
per third of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes to
heat thoroughly and brown the cheese and bread
crumbs.

RATATOU1LLE

[Eggplant Casserole — with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and zucchini]

Ratatouillc perfumes the kitchen with the essence of Provence and is
certainly one of the great Mediterranean dishes. As it is strongly flavored it is
best when it accompanies plain roast or broiled beef or lamb, pot-au-jeu (boiled
beef), or plain roast, broiled, or sauteed chicken. Equally good hot or cold, it
also makes a fine accompaniment to cold meats, or may be served as a cold
hors d’ocuvre.

A really good ratatouille is not one of the quicker dishes to make, as each
element is cooked separately before it is arranged in the casserole to partake of
a brief communal simmer. This recipe is the only one we know of which
produces a ratatouille in which each vegetable retains its own shape and char-
acter. Happily a ratatouille may be cooked completely the day before it is to
be served, and it seems to gain in flavor when reheated.

For 6 to 8 people

Vz lb. eggplant
V2 lb. zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or
stainless steel mixing bowl
1 tsp salt

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices %
inch thick, about 3 inches long, and 1 inch wide. Scrub
the zucchini, slice off the two ends, and cut the
zucchini into slices about the same size as the egg-
plant slices. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss
with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry
each slice in a towel.

5°4

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

A io- to 12-inch enameled
skillet

4 Tb olive oil, more if
needed

J /2 lb. (about 1V2 cups)
thinly sliced yellow on-
ions

2 (about 1 cup) sliced green
bell peppers

2 to 3 Tb olive oil, if neces-
sary

2 cloves mashed garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes,
peeled, seeded, and juiced,
page 505 (makes 1V2 cups
pulp)

Salt and pepper

A 2V2 quart fireproof casse-
role about 2/2 inches deep
3 Tb minced parsley

Salt and pepper

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant, and then the
zucchini in hot olive oil for about a minute on each
side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers
slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender
but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to
taste.

Slice the tomato pulp into %-inch strips. Lay them
over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and
pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5
minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their
juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices,
raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has
almost entirely evaporated.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of
the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of
parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on
top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini, and finish
with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10
minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the
rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise
heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes
more, basting several times, until juices have evapo-
rated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil.
Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables
scorch in the bottom of the casserole.

(*) Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving
time, or serve cold.

TOMATOES

505

MOUSSAKA, a mold of eggplant and lamb, is in the Lamb section, page 349.

TOMATOES

Tomates

Many recipes calling for tomatoes direct that they be peeled, seeded, and
juiced. This applies to tomato sauces, to the tomato fondues which are used
in egg dishes, to various Basque or Provengal recipes, and to the diced tomato
pulp which may be poached in a soup or a sauce. One pound or 4 or 5 medium
tomatoes will yield about 1 / 2 cups of pulp.

TO PEEL TOMATOES

Use firm, ripe, red tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes one or two at a time in
boiling water to cover, and boil for exactly 10 seconds. Remove. Cut out the
stem. Peel off the skin starting from the stem hole.

TO SEED AND JUICE TOMATOES
{for illustration, see next page )

Cut peeled or unpeeled tomatoes in half crosswise, not through the stem.
Squeeze each half gently to extract the seeds and juices from the center of the
tomato. If they are to receive a cold stuffing, sprinkle the interior with salt
which will draw more juices out, then invert them in a colander.

50 6

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Gently press the juice and
seeds out of the tomato
half

DICED, SLICED, OR CHOPPED TOMATO PULP
Chop, dice, or slice the peeled, seeded, and juiced tomato halves. Roughly
chopped tomato pulp is tomates concassecs.

TO MATES GRILLEES AU FOUR

[Whole Baked Tomatoes]

These make an attractive decoration around a meat platter, or surround-
ing a dish of green beans. They should be baked only at the last minute if they
are to retain their shape.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Firm, ripe, red tomatoes, all
of the same size and not
more than 2 inches in di-
ameter

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

An oiled roasting pan just
large enough to hold the
tomatoes easily

Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut out the stems, leav-
ing as small a hole as possible. Sprinkle salt and pep-
per into the stem hole. Brush the tomatoes with olive
oil, then place them stem-end down in the roasting
pan. Do not crowd them together.

TOMATOES

5°7

Bake in the middle level of the preheated oven for
about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they are done
when the skins break a little, but they should not be
baked so long that they burst.

Salt and pepper Baste them with the pan juices. Season lightly with

Minced, mixed green herbs salt and pepper, and sprinkle herbs or parsley over
or parsley them. Serve as soon as possible.

* TO MATES A LA PROVEN^ALE

[Tomatoes Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Herbs, and Garlic]

One of the most savory ways of serving tomatoes is a la provengale. These
tomatoes go well with many things— steaks, chops, roast beef, lamb, roast or
broiled chicken, broiled mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring, or swordfish. They
may also be a hot hors d’oeuvre, or accompany egg dishes.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

6 firm, ripe, red tomatoes
about 3 inches in diameter
Salt and pepper

Remove the stems, and cut the tomatoes in half cross-
wise. Gently press out the juice and seeds. Sprinkle
the halves lightly with salt and pepper.

x to 2 cloves mashed garlic

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

4 Tb minced fresh basil and
parsley, or parsley only

Zh tsp thyme

V4 tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper

*/4 cup olive oil

Vz cup fine, white, dry bread
crumbs

A shallow, oiled roasting
pan just large enough to
hold the tomatoes easily
in one layer

Blend all the ingredients to the left in a mixing bowl.
Correct seasoning. Fill each tomato half with a spoon-
ful or two of the mixture. Sprinkle with a few drops
of olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes in the roasting pan;
do not crowd them.

( # ) May be prepared ahead to this point.

Shortly before you are ready to serve, place them in
the upper third of the preheated oven and bake for

508

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

io to 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender but
hold their shape, and the bread crumb filling has
browned lightly.

VARIATION

Tomates Farcies Duxelles

[Tomatoes Stuffed with Mushrooms]

Follow the preceding recipe, but use the mushroom filling described in
the recipe for stuffed mushrooms on page 516.

CULTIVATED MUSHROOMS

Champignons de Couche — Champignons de Paris

Fresh, cultivated mushrooms are an essential element of French cuisine
and appear not only as a vegetable or in a garnish, but as an important flavor
factor in numerous dishes, sauces, and stuffings. Mushrooms should never be
submitted to prolonged cooking or they will lose most of their taste and tex-
ture. Therefore if they are to go into a sauce they are usually cooked separately,
then added to the sauce to simmer a moment and blend their flavor with the
sauce.

CHOOSING MUSHROOMS

It is always advisable to buy mushrooms in bulk rather than in a package,
so you can hand-pick each one. Some varieties of cultivated mushrooms are
creamy white, odiers have brownish caps. The freshest of fresh mushrooms are
closed on the underside of the cap so that you cannot see tire gills. Caps and
stems should be smooth, unblemished, fresh looking, and fresh smelling. As a
mushroom ages in the market, the cap expands to expose the gills, die mush-
room darkens, and begins to dry out.

If you are not going to use fresh mushrooms immediately, refrigerate
them in a plastic bag and diey will keep perfectly for two to three days.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

Trim the base of the stems. If the gills are even partially exposed, break
the stem off inside the cap so you will be able to wash out any sand which may
have lodged in the gills.

MUSHROOMS

509

Just before using them, drop the mushrooms in a large basin of cold
water. Rapidly rub them between your hands for several seconds to dislodge
dirt particles. Immediately lift them out into a colander. If there are more than
a few grains of sand left in the bottom of the basin, wash the mushrooms again.
Dry them in a towel.

HOW TO CUT MUSHROOMS

After they have been washed and dried, here are the various ways in
which mushrooms may be cut.

To mince or dice

Place the mushrooms in a heap on the chopping board. Chop them with
a big, sharp, straight-edged knife, holding an end of the blade in the fingers of
each hand. Use rapid up and down movements, and repeatedly brush mush-

Mince mushrooms with a
big chef’s finife held be-
tween the thumb and
forefinger of each hand

Sliced

SLICED CAP
STF.M CUT OFF AT BASE

STEM REMOVED ENTIRELY

5io

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

rooms back into a heap with the knife. Chop until the pieces are less than %
inch.

Quartered

To flute mushroom caps

Fluted mushroom caps may be stewed or broiled, and are used as deco-
rations. It takes a little practice to master the technique of fluting, but it is quite
a nice professional touch to have at your command.

Fluted caps

Hold the mushroom, cap up, in the fingers of your left hand. Its blade
pointing away from you, hold a very sharp, small knife rigidly in your right
hand. Rest the thumb of your right hand on the mushroom cap to act as a
guide. Then rotate the cap toward you against the blade of the knife starting
at the crown, thus removing a very shallow strip, or flute, down one half of the
cap. Note that the knife remains stationary; the mushroom cuts itself as it ro-
tates against the blade. It is your left hand, controlling the mushroom’s move-
ment, which determines the depth and direction of the cut. Continue in the
same manner all around the cap.

MUSHROOMS

511

Left hand guides mush-
room against knife blade
and regulates cut

CHAMPIGNONS A BLANC

[Stewed Mushrooms]

When mushrooms are used in white sauces, or in a garniture in which
they must remain white, they are cooked this way.

J/4 lb. fresh mushrooms
Zs cup water
Vs tsp salt

V 2 Tb lemon juice (which
helps keep mushrooms
white)

1 Tb butter

A 4- to 6-cup enameled
saucepan

Trim and wash the mushrooms; cut as directed in
your recipe, or as shown in the preceding illustrations.
Bring the water, salt, lemon juice, and butter to the
boil in the saucepan. Add the mushrooms and toss
to cover them with the liquid. Cover and boil moder-
ately fast, tossing frequently, for 5 minutes. Set aside
until ready to use.

512

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

FUMET DE CHAMPIGNONS

[Mushroom Essence]

Mushroom essence is the reduction or boiling down of the cooking juice
from stewed mushrooms or canned mushrooms. It is used as a concentrated
mushroom flavoring for sauces.

Drain the preceding stewed mushrooms. Rapidly boil down their cooking
liquid in a small saucepan until it has reduced almost to a syrup.

(*) If not used immediately, refrigerate or freeze it.

CHAMPIGNONS GRILLES

[Broiled Mushroom Caps]

Broiled mushroom caps are used as a garniture, usually on steaks. They
may also be served as a separate vegetable, or as a hot hors d’oeuvre on toast.

Fresh mushrooms of what-
ever size you wish

Melted butter

A shallow, buttered baking
dish

Salt and pepper

Optional: Beurre Maitre
d’Hotel (butter mixed
with lemon juice, parsley,
and seasonings), page 102
OR: Beurre pour Escar-
gots (butter mixed with
herbs, shallots, and gar-
lic), page 103

Preheat broiler to moderately hot. Separate the mush-
room caps from the stems. Wash and dry the caps.
Stems may be minced and turned into a duxelles,
page 515.

Paint the mushroom caps with melted butter. Arrange
them hollow-side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle
lightly with salt and pepper. Place 4 to 5 inches from
heat, and broil rather slowly for 5 minutes. Turn the
caps, and broil 5 minutes more or until the caps are
tender and lightly browned.

The caps may then, if you wish, be filled with parsley
butter into which you may also incorporate finely
minced shallots with or without a bit of mashed
garlic. Spread the butter in the caps, filling them by
about a third.

Just before serving, heat them for a moment or two
under the broiler until the butter is bubbling.

MUSHROOMS

513

* CHAMPIGNONS SA UTES A U BEURRE

[Sauteed Mushrooms]

Use these mushrooms either as a vegetable alone or in a combination with
other vegetables, or as an integral part of such dishes as coq au vim, boeuf bour-
guignon, poulet cn cocotte. Successfully sauteed mushrooms are lightly
browned and exude none of their juice while they are being cooked; to achieve
this the mushrooms must be dry, the butter very hot, and the mushrooms must
not be crowded in the pan. If you saute too many at once they steam rather
than fry; their juices escape and they do not brown. So if you are preparing
a large amount, or if your heat source is feeble, saute the mushrooms in several
batches.

A 10-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

Vi lb. fresh mushrooms,
washed, well dried, left
whole if small, sliced or
quartered if large

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and
oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun
to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mush-
rooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes.
During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb
the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their
surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As
soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms,
shallots or green onions Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

( # ) Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance,
set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste
just before serving.

VARIATIONS

Champignons Sautes a la Bordelaise

[Mushrooms Sauteed with Shallots, Garlic, and Herbs]

These may garnish a meat or vegetable platter.

Vi lb. fresh mushrooms, Saute the mushrooms in oil and butter until lightly
whole if small, quartered browned,
if large

1 Tb oil

2 Tb butter

5M

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Optional: i small clove

minced garlic
3 Tb fine, white, dry bread
crumbs

Stir in the shallots or green onions, optional garlic,
and bread crumbs, and toss over moderate heat for 2 to
3 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb minced fresh parsley,
chervil, chives, and tar-
ragon, or parsley only

Just before serving, season to taste, and toss with the
herbs.

Champignons Sautes a la Creme
[Creamed Mushrooms]

Creamed mushrooms may garnish canapes, little vol-au-vents, tartlet
shells, artichoke bottoms, or may accompany such foods as omelettes, poached
eggs, sweetbreads, or chicken.

Vt. lb. fresh mushrooms,
whole if small, sliced,
quartered, or minced if
large

2 Tb butter

1 Tb oil

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Saute the mushrooms in hot butter and oil for 4 to 5
minutes, but do not allow them to brown any more
than necessary. Add the shallots or onions and toss
over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

i tsp flour

Stir in the flour and cook slowly for 2 minutes more,
stirring.

% to i cup whipping cream
% tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb Madeira

Off heat, blend in the cream and seasonings. Then
boil down rapidly until the cream has reduced and
thickened. Add the optional wine, and boil for a
moment to evaporate its alcohol. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be set aside and reheated later.

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Off heat and just before serving, fold in the butter.

MUSHROOMS

515

Champignons Sautes, Sauce Madere
[Sauteed Mushrooms in Brown Madeira Sauce]

Another appetizing way of using mushrooms is in a brown Madeira
sauce. You may smother a filet mignon with them, or fill tartlets, or combine
the mushrooms with sauteed chicken livers and ham to fill a rice ring. If you
do not have on hand one of the classic, flour-thickened, long simmered brown
sauces, you may use a quick brown sauce made of very good bouillon thickened
with arrowroot or cornstarch, as suggested in the recipe.

14 lb. mushrooms, sliced, Saute the mushrooms in butter and oil, adding minced
quartered, or minced shallots or green onions at the end. Remove to a side

2 Tb butter dish.

1 Tb oil

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Vi cup Madeira

Pour the Madeira into the sauteing skillet and boil it
down rapidly until it has reduced by half.

1 cup brown sauce
(the flour-thickened sauces
Numbers I or II, pages
67 to 69, or the quick
sauce, Number III, page
70)

Add the sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Then
stir in the sauteed mushrooms and simmer a moment
more to blend flavors. Correct seasoning.

(*) May be made ahead of time. Dot top of sauce with
butter and set aside.

x to 2 Tb butter

Reheat just before serving. Off heat, stir in the enrich-
ment butter.

DUXELLES

[Mushroom Duxelles — Minced Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter]

Duxelles is a dry, mushroom flavoring for many kinds of stuffings and
quick mushroom sauces; once made it will keep for several weeks under re-
frigeration or may be frozen. The juice is squeezed out of the raw minced
mushroom so that the cooked duxelles will be as dry as possible; if the duxelles
were wet it would dilute and soften a stuffing.

For about 1 cup

516

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

V2 lb. finely minced fresh
mushrooms, whole or just
stems (about 2 cups)

A handful at a time, twist the mushrooms into a ball
in the corner of a towel to extract as much juice as
possible. (Juice may be saved to go into a sauce or
soup.)

An 8-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

In the skillet, saute the mushrooms and shallots or
onions in butter and oil over moderately high heat,
stirring frequently. After 6 to 8 minutes the mush-
room pieces should begin to separate from each other
and brown lightly.

Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: !4 cup Madeira
and Vi cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the optional
wine and stock, and boil down rapidly until liquid
has reduced to nothing.

(*) If not to be used immediately, allow to cool. Pack
in a covered jar, and refrigerate or freeze.

CHAMPIGNONS FARC1S

[Stuffed Mushrooms]

Stuffed mushrooms make a good hot hors d’oeuvres or a garnish for a
meat platter.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

12 fresh mushroom caps 2
to 3 inches in diameter,
stems removed
2 to 3 Tb melted butter
A shallow, lightly buttered
roasting pan
Salt and pepper

Brush the mushroom caps with melted butter. Place
them, hollow-side up, in the roasting pan. Sprinkle
lightly with salt and pepper.

3 Tb finely minced onions

2 Tb butter

1 Tb oil

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Stems from the mushroom
caps, finely minced and
squeezed in a towel to ex-
tract their juice

Saute the onions in butter and oil for 3 to 4 minutes
without browning. Then add the shallots or green
onions and mushroom stems. Saute as in the preced-
ing duxelles recipe.

MUSHROOMS

5*7

Optional: / cup Madeira

3 Tb fine, white, dry bread
crumbs

% cup grated Swiss cheese
Va cup grated Parmesan
cheese

4 Tb minced parsley
V2 tsp tarragon
Salt and pepper

2 to 3 Tb whipping cream

Add the optional Madeira and boil it down rapidly
until it has almost entirely evaporated.

Off heat, mix in the bread crumbs, cheeses, parsley,
tarragon, and seasonings. A spoonful at a time, blend
in just enough cream to moisten the mixture but keep
it sufficiently stiff to hold its shape in a spoon. Correct
seasoning.

3 Tb grated Swiss cheese Fill the mushroom caps with the stuffing. Top each
2 Tb melted butter with a pinch of cheese and drops of melted butter.

(*) May be done ahead to this point.

Bake in upper third of a preheated, 375-degree oven
for 15 to 20 minutes, or until caps are tender and
stuffing has browned lightly on top.

CANNED MUSHROOMS

Canned mushrooms will have more flavor in sauces or garnitures if you
follow the procedure outlined here. (If they are to be browned, drain them,
dry in a towel, and saute quickly in butter and oil with minced shallots or
onions.)

For 1 cup drained, canned
mushrooms:

1 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

2 Tb butter
Salt and pepper
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb port or

Madeira

In a small enameled saucepan, cook the shallots or
onions slowly in the butter for 2 minutes without
browning. Add the mushrooms and seasonings, and
toss them in the butter. Add the optional wine. Cover
and cook slowly for 2 minutes.

NOTE: The juice from the can may be boiled down
in a saucepan until reduced to a third of its volume or
less. Use as a sauce flavoring.

CHESTNUTS

Marrons

Fresh raw chestnuts are in season in the winter months. Choose heavy
nuts with tight-fitting shells — indications that they are fresh and will have their
maximum flavor.

5 i8

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Chestnuts have a traditional affinity for roast turkey, goose, venison, boar,
wild duck, and pheasant; they also go with pork and with sausages. Chestnut
puree is used as a starchy vegetable to accompany any of these meats. Whole
braised chestnuts are often combined with other vegetables such as red cabbage,
Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, onions, or carrots. Whole partially-cooked chest-
nuts go into stuffings, particularly sausage stuffings for goose and turkey.

AMOUNT TO BUY

One pound or 35 to 40 whole raw chestnuts will yield approximately 2/2
cups of peeled chestnuts.

HOW TO PEEL CHESTNUTS

Chestnuts have an outside shell and a bitter inside skin, both of which
must be removed before the chestnuts can be used. Peeling off the inside skin
is a chore whatever method you adopt. To our mind, and we have tried them
all, the following is the most satisfactory, especially if you want the chestnuts
to remain whole.

With a small sharp knife, peel a 14 -inch strip of shell off one side of each
chestnut. Set chestnuts in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and boil
1 minute; remove from heat. Then three at a time, with a slotted spoon, dip
the chestnuts out of the water and peel off the shells and inner skins. (Set aside
until later any recalcitrant chestnuts. Drop them all later into boiling water for
a moment, then peel them one by one.) The whole peeling process must be a
continuous operation and done while the chestnuts are still warm.

PUREE DE MARRONS

[Chestnut Puree]

For 6 to 8 people

A 3-quart, heavy-bottomed
saucepan

8 cups peeled chestnuts
2 stalks celery

A medium herb bouquet:
4 parsley sprigs, '/2 bay

Place in the saucepan the chestnuts, celery stalks, and
herb bouquet. Pour in enough stock, or bouillon and
water to cover the chestnuts by i/ z inches. Simmer
very slowly and uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, or
until the chestnuts are cooked through. Do not over-
cook and allow them to become mushy. Drain im-

CHESTNUTS

519

leaf, and % tsp thyme tied mediately; remove celery and herb bouquet. Puree the
in cheesecloth chestnuts in the food mill, then return them to the

3 cups good brown stock or saucepan.

2 cups canned beef bouil-
lon and 1 cup water
A food mill

3 to 6 Tb softened butter, or
butter and whipping
cream

Salt and pepper
Pinch of sugar, if needed

Beat in the butter, or butter and cream. If puree is too
thick, beat in spoonfuls of the cooking liquid. Season
to taste with salt and pepper, and a pinch or two of
sugar if you feel it necessary.

( # ) If not to be used immediately, instead of beating
in the butter, spread it over the surface of the puree.
To reheat, cover and set over boiling water, beating
occasionally.

MARRONS BRAISES

[Whole Braised Chestnuts]

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

24 peeled chestnuts

A heavy, fireproof casserole
or baking dish just large
enough to hold the chest-
nuts in one layer

1 Tb arrowroot or corn-
starch mixed to a paste
with 2 Tb port, Madeira,
or water

2 cups good brown stock or
1/4 cups canned beef
bouillon and V2 cup water

Water, if necessary

3 Tb butter

Place the chestnuts in the casserole or baking dish.
Beat the starch mixture into the stock or bouillon and
pour over the chestnuts. There should be enough
liquid to cover them by / inch; add water, if nec-
essary. Add the butter. Bring to the simmer, cover,
then set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate
heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 45 to 60
minutes or until chestnuts are tender.

(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside un-
covered. Cover and reheat slowly on top of stove be-
fore proceeding.

If liquid has not reduced to a syrupy glaze at the end
of the cooking, drain it off and boil it down in a sauce-
pan. Pour it back into the casserole and roll the chest-
nuts gently around in it to cover them with the glaze.
Serve as follows:

520

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

Serve sprinkled with parsley, or combined with other
vegetables as directed in whatever recipe you are
using.

POTATOES

Pommes de Terre

Out of the vast store of French potato dishes, we have selected an unusual
version of mashed potatoes, some excellent grated potato pancakes, a series of
good regional recipes for scalloped potatoes, and one for potatoes sauteed in
butter.

KIND OF POTATOES TO BUY

We shall not classify potato varieties by name. We shall merely specify
baking potatoes when we mean the type of white potato such as Idaho which
turns floury after cooking, and boiling potatoes when we are talking about the
white potato which retains its shape. It is particularly important that you use
the right kind of potato for such dishes as scalloped potatoes, for the potato
must not disintegrate during cooking; in such cases we have used quotation
marks in order to draw your attention to the necessity for using “boiling” po-
tatoes.

PUREE DE POMMES DE TERRE A L’AIL

[Garlic Mashed Potatoes]

Two whole heads of garlic will seem like a horrifying amount if you have
not made this type of recipe before. But if less is used, you will regret it, for the
long cooking of the garlic removes all of its harsh strength, leaving just a pleas-
ant flavor. Garlic mashed potatoes go with roast lamb, pork, goose, or sausages.
Although both garlic sauce and potatoes may be cooked in advance, they
should be combined only at the last minute; the completed puree loses its nice
consistency if it sits too long over heat, or if it is cooked and then reheated.

For 6 to 8 people

2 heads garlic, about 30 Separate the garlic cloves. Drop into boiling water,
cloves and boil 2 minutes. Drain. Peel.

POTATOES

5 2X

A 3- to 4-cup, heavy-bot-
tomed saucepan with
cover

4 Tb butter

2 Tb flour
1 cup boiling milk
*4 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
A sieve and wooden spoon,
or an electric blender

2/2 lbs. baking potatoes
A potato ricer
A 2/2 quart enameled sauce-
pan

A wooden spatula or spoon
4 Tb softened butter
Salt and white pepper

3 to 4 Tb whipping cream

4 Tb minced parsley

A hot, lightly buttered vege-
table dish

Cook the garlic slowly with the butter in the covered
saucepan for about 20 minutes or until very tender
but not browned.

Blend in the flour and stir over low heat until it
froths with the butter for 2 minutes without brown-
ing. Off heat, beat in the boiling milk and seasonings.
Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Rub the sauce through a
sieve or puree it in the electric blender. Simmer for 2
minutes more.

(*) May be done ahead of time. Dot top of sauce
with bits of butter to keep a skin from forming. Re-
heat when needed.

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Drop in boiling salted
water to cover, and boil until tender. Drain immedi-
ately and put through a potato ricer. Place the hot
puree in the saucepan and beat with the spatula or
spoon for several minutes over moderate heat to
evaporate moisture. As soon as the puree begins to
form a film in the bottom of the pan, remove from
heat and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time.
Beat in salt and pepper to taste.

( # ) If not used immediately, set aside uncovered. To
reheat, cover and set over boiling water, beating fre-
quently.

Shortly before serving, beat the hot garlic sauce vigor-
ously into the hot potatoes. Beat in the cream by
spoonfuls but do not thin out the puree too much.
Beat in the parsley. Correct seasoning. Turn into hot
vegetable dish.

CREPES DE POMMES DE TERRE

| Grated Potato Pancakes]

These are excellent with roasts, steaks, or chops. As a bed for fried or
poached eggs, they may be topped with a cheese or tomato sauce. Or roll them

522

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

around a filling of mushrooms, chicken livers, or ham, top with a sauce, and
brown under the broiler.

For 18 crepes about 3 inches in diameter, or 8 crepes made in indi-
vidual 6-inch crepe pans

8 ounces cream cheese Mash the cream cheese with the flour, in the mixing

3 Tb flour bowl.

A 3 -quart mixing bowl

2 eggs Mix in the eggs and seasonings and beat until smooth.

54 tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper

6 ounces (i!4 cups) Swiss Stir in the Swiss cheese,
cheese cut into 54-inch
dice

2/2 lbs. of baking potatoes
(4 cups when grated)

A vegetable grater

Peel the potatoes and rub them through the large
holes of the grater. A small handful at a time, twist
them into a ball in the corner of a towel to squeeze
out as much of their water as you can. Stir the grated
raw potatoes into the egg and cheese mixture.

3 to 6 Tb whipping cream
Optional: 54 cup diced
boiled ham, or 54 cup
sauteed mushrooms,
chicken livers, or onions
3 to 4 Tb fresh herbs, such
as parsley, chives, chervil

Stir in the cream by spoonfuls to make a mixture the
consistency of a thick, creamed cole slaw — not runny.
Add optional ingredients. Taste carefully for season-
ing.

A 10 -inch skillet
1 54 Tb butter, more as
needed

54 Tb oil, more as needed
A large spoon or ladle
A hot platter

Set skillet over moderately high heat with the butter
and oil. When you see the foam begin to subside, ladle
3 piles of batter into the skillet to form 3 crepes ap-
proximately 3 inches in diameter and / inch thick.
Regulate heat so crepes are lightly browned on the
bottom and bubble holes have appeared on the surface
in about 3 minutes. Then turn and brown on the
other sides for about 3 minutes. Transfer to platter

POTATOES

523

and keep warm in one layer while making the re-
maining crepes.

(*) If not served immediately, arrange crepes in one
layer on a baking sheet. Set aside uncovered. Reheat
for 4 to 5 minutes in a 400-degree oven.

* GRATIN DAUPH1NOIS

[Scalloped Potatoes with Milk, Cheese, and a Pinch of Garlic]

There are as many “authenic” versions of gratin dauphinois as there are
of bouillabaisse. Of them all, we prefer this one because it is fast, simple, and
savory. It goes with roast or broiled chicken, turkey, and veal. With roast beef,
pork, lamb, steaks, and chops you may prefer the gratin Savoyard which fol-
lows, since it is cooked with stock rather than milk. Although some authorities
on le vrai gratin dauphinois would violently disagree, you may omit the cheese.
If you do so, add 2 more tablespoons of butter.

For 6 people

2 lbs. “boiling” potatoes
(6 to 7 cups when sliced)

A fireproof baking-serving
dish about 10 inches in di-
ameter and 2 inches deep
(if recipe is increased, dish
must be wider but no
deeper)

14 clove unpceled garlic
4 Tb butter
1 tsp salt
Vs tsp pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) grated
Swiss cheese
1 cup boiling milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel the potatoes and slice them % inch thick. Place
in a basin of cold water. Drain when ready to use.

Rub the baking dish with the cut garlic. Smear the
inside of the dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Drain the potatoes and dry them in a towel. Spread
half of them in the bottom of the dish. Divide over
them half the salt, pepper, cheese, and butter. Arrange
the remaining potatoes over the first layer, and season
them. Spread on the rest of the cheese and divide the
butter over it. Pour on the boiling milk. Set baking
dish over heat and when simmering, set in upper third
of preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until
potatoes are tender, milk has been absorbed, and the
top is nicely browned. (As the oven is hot, and the
dish shallow, the potatoes cook quickly.)

(*) May wait for half an hour, loosely covered, over
simmering water. For a longer wait, stop initial cook-
ing just before all milk has evaporated. Set aside un-
covered. Shortly before serving, dot with 2 Tb butter,
reheat on top of stove, and set in a 425-degree oven
for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking.

524

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

VARIATIONS

Gratin Savoyard

[Scalloped Potatoes with Meat Stock and Cheese]

For 6 people

Ingredients for the preced- Follow the recipe for gratin dauphinois, but substitute
ing gratin dauphinois stock for milk, and increase the butter proportions as
with the following excep- indicated at the left,
tions:

i cup brown stock or
canned beef bouillon in-
stead of milk
6 rather than 4 Tb butter

Gratin Jurassien

[Scalloped Potatoes with Heavy Cream and Cheese]

Potatoes baked in heavy cream are mouth-watering with roast lamb or
chicken, or turkey, veal, beef, or pork. An important point in this recipe is that
you must never let the cream come quite to the simmer during the baking;
thus it will not curdle.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

4 Tb butter

A 10-inch, fireproof dish 2
inches deep

2 lbs. “boiling” potatoes,
sliced Z& inch thick (6 to
7 cups)

1 tsp salt
Zb tsp pepper
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
cups whipping cream

Smear 1 tablespoon of the butter in the baking dish.
Arrange layers of potatoes in it, seasoning each layer
with salt, pepper, cheese, and dots of butter. End with
a sprinkling of cheese and butter dots. Pour on the
cream and bring slowly almost to the simmer on top
of the stove. Then place in middle level of preheated
oven and bake for 1 to i|4 hours, regulating oven
heat throughout baking so that cream never quite
bubbles. The gratin is done when the potatoes are
tender and have absorbed the cream, and the top is
lightly browned.

POTATOES

525

Gr atm de Pommes de T erre Crecy
[Scalloped Potatoes and Carrots with Cream]

This mixture of potatoes, carrots, and cream is delicious with veal or
chicken. It is the same as the preceding gratin jurassien but the potatoes are in-
terspersed with sliced, braised carrots prepared as follows:

2 cups carrots sliced '/» inch
thick

Zz Tb butter
'/ tsp salt

2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions
} A cup water

A 4- to 6-cup, heavy-bot-
tomed, enameled sauce-
pan with cover

Boil the carrots slowly widi the butter, salt, shallots or
onions, and water in the covered saucepan for 20 to 30
minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the
carrots are tender. Then continue as for the preceding
gratin jurassien, but alternate carrot slices with the
potato slices.

Gratin de Pommes de Terre Provencal

[Scalloped Potatoes with Onions, Tomatoes, Anchovies, Herbs, and

Garlic]

This casserole with its full-bodied Mediterranean flavor goes widi roast
lamb or beef, steaks, chops, or grilled mackerel, tuna, or swordfish. It is also
good served cold. The potatoes need no other liquid than that rendered by the
tomatoes as they cook together.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 Tb olive oil
A small saucepan
1V2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled,
seeded, and juiced, page
505 (4 to 5 tomatoes, 2%
cups pulp)

14 tsp salt

Cook the onions and olive oil slowly together in the
saucepan until the onions are tender but not browned.
Cut the tomato pulp into strips % inch wide. Fold
the tomatoes and salt into the onions. Set aside.

526

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

6 canned anchovies packed
in olive oil, drained
2 cloves mashed garlic
Vt tsp basil
!4 tsp thyme
Vs tsp pepper

2 Tb olive oil (include as
part of this the oil from
the anchovy can)

An oiled baking dish about
10 inches in diameter and
2 inches deep

2 lbs. “boiling” potatoes
sliced Vs inch thick (6 to
7 cups)

Vt cup grated Parmesan or
Swiss cheese
1 tsp olive oil

Aluminum foil, if necessary

In a small mixing bowl, mash the anchovies into a
paste with the garlic, herbs, pepper, and oil.

Spread one quarter of the tomatoes and onions in the
baking dish. Over them arrange half the potato slices,
then half the anchovy mixture, then half the remain-
ing tomatoes and onions. Spread over this the rest of
the potatoes and the anchovy mixture; top with the
last of the tomatoes and onions. Spread on the cheese,
and sprinkle with olive oil.

Place in middle level of preheated oven and bake for
about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and
have absorbed all of the juice from the tomatoes. If
the top browns too much during cooking, cover very
loosely with a sheet of foil.

(*) Keep warm or reheat as for the gratia dauphinois,
page 523.

* POMMES DE TERRE SAUTEES

POMMES DE TERRE POUR GARNITURE
POMMES DE TERRE CHATEAU

[Potatoes Sauteed in Butter]

Although we rationed ourselves strictly on potato recipes, potatoes sauteed
in butter appear as a garnishing suggestion in so many of the main-course
dishes that we are including directions for doing them. The following recipe
demands that the potatoes be sauteed raw, which produces a delectable result.
But the cooking is rather exacting as raw potatoes will stick to the sauteing pan
unless certain precautions are taken.

POTATOES

527

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

If you were living in France, you would buy smooth oval potatoes 2 to
2/ inches long, with yellowish flesh, pommes de terre de Hollande. You
would peel them neatly, and saute them whole. Elsewhere, choose small boil-
ing potatoes or new potatoes. Peel them, and cut them into elongated olive
shapes all the same size, 2 to 2/2 inches long and 1 to 1% inches at their widest
diameter. Cut them smoothly, so they will roll around easily and color evenly
when they are sauteed. (You might save the cuttings for the good leek and
potato soup, page 37.) Do not wash the potatoes; simply pat them thoroughly
dry in a towel. If you peel them some time in advance of their cooking, roll
them in a damp towel; dry them in a fresh towel just before sauteing.

For 4 to 6 people

2 lbs. (5 to 6 cups) “boiling” Cut the potatoes according to the directions in the
potatoes or new potatoes preceding paragraph. Remember they are not to be

washed, merely well dried in a towel.

3 to 4 Tb clarified butter, Add enough clarified butter or the butter and oil to

page 15, or 2 Tb butter the skillet to film it by YlG inch and set over moder-

and 1 Tb oil, more if ately high heat. When the clarified butter is very hot
needed but not coloring, or when the butter foam in the but-

A 10- or n-inch heavy skil- ter and oil mixture begins to subside, put the potatoes

let large enough to hold into the skillet. Leave them for 2 minutes, regulating

all the potatoes easily in heat so butter is always very hot but not coloring,

one layer Then shake the skillet back and forth to roll the

potatoes and to sear them on another side for 2
minutes. Continue thus for 4 to 5 minutes more until
the potatoes are a pale golden color all over, indicating
that a seared, protective film has formed over them,
so that they will not stick to the pan.

/ ts P sa k Then sprinkle the potatoes with salt and roll them

again in the skillet.

A heavy, close-fitting lid for Lower heat, cover the skillet, and cook the potatoes
the skillet for about 15 minutes, shaking them every 3 to 4

minutes to prevent their sticking to the skillet, and to
insure an even coloring.

They are done when they yield slightly to the pressure
of your finger, or when a knife pierces them easily;

528

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

they should be a nice, fairly even, golden brown color.
Hold the cover slightly askew over the skillet, and
pour out the sauteing fat.

(*) If not to be used immediately, set cover askew to
allow for air circulation, and place skillet on an as-
bestos mat over very low heat. The potatoes can be
kept thus for about half an hour. Reheat just to siz-
zling hot before serving.

2 to 3 Tb softened butter
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley,
chives, or fresh tarragon,
or a mixture of fresh
green herbs
Big pinch of pepper
A hot vegetable dish

Then off heat, add the butter and herbs, sprinkle on
the pepper, and roll the potatoes in the skillet so they
glisten with herbs and butter. Arrange the potatoes
around your meat platter, or turn them into a vege-
table dish.

VARIATIONS

Pommes de Terre Parisiennes

[Potato Balls Sauteed in Butter]

Pommes de Terre Sautees en Des

[Diced Potatoes Sauteed in Butter]

Use exactly the same system as that in the preceding recipe, but form the
raw potatoes into balls with a potato-ball cutter, or cut them into >4 -inch dice.

RICE

Riz

Whatever method you use for rice the grains should emerge whole,
tender, and separate. Although raw rice is not difficult to cook, many people
are so afraid of it they dare to attempt only the precooked or converted varie-
ties, thus limiting their scope of rice dishes and denying their skill as good
cooks. Two factors contribute to the gumminess of badly cooked rice. One is
overcooking. The other is failure to deal with the floury coating which clings
to raw rice and becomes sticky and gluey unless the rice is washed or sauteed
in butter or oil.

RICE

529

TYPES OF RICE

Only 2 types of raw white rice are generally available in American mar
kets, long grain Carolina, and short grain. The latter is usually best for risottos ;
if you are able to get the short, fat-grained, imported Italian rice, it is especially
good for risottos. Remarks on precooked, converted, and wild rice are on page

534 - 5 -

AMOUNT TO BUY

One cup of raw rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice, or enough for
4 to 6 people.

WARNING

Never stir cooked rice with anything but a fork, and when you use your
fork, lift and fluff the rice being careful not to mash nor break the grains.

* RIZ A L’INDIENNE
RIZ A LA VAPEUR

[Steamed Rice]

There are many ways of arriving at plain boiled or steamed rice, and
most cooks choose one which best suits their temperaments. We find the fol-
lowing to be a foolproof system. The rice may be cooked hours ahead of time
and reheated when needed. The large amount of water used for boiling the rice
gets rid of its floury coating, and the washing of the rice after this preliminary
blanching is an added precaution. The final steaming finishes its cooking, leav-
ing the grains dry, fluffy, and separate.

For 4 Y 2 cups of cooked rice serving 6 people

Preliminary blanching

i’/2 cups clean, unwashed, Gradually sprinkle the rice into the boiling salted
raw rice water, adding it slowly enough so the water does not

A large ketde containing 7 drop below the boil. Stir it up once to be sure none of
to 8 quarts of rapidly boil- the grains are sticking to the bottom of the kettle,
ing water

1Z2 tsp salt per quart of wa-
ter

530

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

A large colander Boil uncovered and moderately fast for io to 12

minutes. Start testing after 10 minutes by biting suc-
cessive grains of rice. When a grain is just tender
enough to have no hardness at the center but is not
yet quite fully cooked, drain the rice in the colander.

Fluff it up under hot running water for a minute or
two to wash off any traces of flour.

Final steaming (See an alternate method, Buttered Rice III, page 531,
where the rice is steamed in butter for its final cooking.)

3 thicknesses of cheesecloth, Wrap the blanched rice in the damp cheesecloth,
or a clean towel or nap- towel, or napkin,
kin, well washed and
rinsed so there is no odor
of soap or bleach

Either place the bundle of rice in a colander, cover,
and set over boiling water to steam for 20 to 30
minutes until the rice is tender,

Or place the bundle in a heated casserole, cover, and
set in a 325-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the
rice is tender.

(*) If the rice is not to be served immediately, fluff it
with a fork, rewrap it, and set it aside off heat. Steam
the bundle again for 5 minutes or so to reheat it, and
serve as in one of the following suggestions:

TO SERVE

Riz d I’Anglaise

[Buttered Rice I]

A hot vegetable dish
Salt and white pepper
2 to 4 Tb butter

Turn the hot rice into a hot vegetable dish. Fluff it
with a fork, adding salt and pepper to taste. Distribute
the butter over it.

RICE

531

Riz au Beurre

[Buttered Rice II]

3 to 4 Tb butter
An 8-inch enameled skillet
or saucepan
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in the skillet or saucepan. When foam-
ing, add the hot, steamed rice and fluff it with a fork
to impregnate it with the butter. Fluff in salt and
pepper to taste.

( # ) May be set aside and reheated later.

Riz Duxelles

[Buttered Rice with Mushrooms]

>/2 lb. finely diced fresh
mushrooms
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil

1 to 2 Tb minced shallots
or green onions
Salt and pepper to taste

1 to 2 Tb more butter

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley

Following the procedure for duxelles on page 515,
twist the mushrooms, a handful at a time, in the
corner of a towel to extract their juice. Saute the mush-
rooms in butter and oil for 6 to 8 minutes until very
lightly browned. Stir in the shallots or onions and
cook slowly for 2 minutes more. Mix in the hot,
steamed rice with a fork and season to taste. Fluff in
the rest of the butter and the parsley.

(*) May be set aside and reheated later.

RIZ ETUVE AU BEURRE

[Buttered Rice III]

This is an alternate method for the final cooking of blanched rice. If you
want to serve buttered rice, this is easier than steaming.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1Z2 cups unwashed raw

rice

Blanch the rice for 10 to 12 minutes in 7 to 8 quarts of
boiling salted water until barely tender as described
on page 529. Rinse under hot water.

3 Tb butter
l A tsp salt

Big pinch of pepper

While the rice is blanching, melt the butter with
the seasonings in the casserole over the boiling water,
and prepare the round of waxed paper. As soon as

532

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

A 6-cup covered casserole
set in a pan of boiling wa-
ter

A round of buttered, waxed
paper

the rice has been rinsed in hot water, turn it into the
hot casserole and fluff it with a fork to blend with the
butter and seasonings. Lay the paper over the rice,
cover the casserole, and set it, still in its pan of boiling
water, in the lower portion of the preheated oven.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Fluff it with a fork. Correct seasoning.

( # ) Rice may be kept hot in the casserole set over
barely simmering water. Or may be put aside, then re-
heated over boiling water when needed.

* RIZ AU BLANC

[Boiled Rice for Hors d’Oeuvres and Salads]

If you are using rice in hors d’oeuvres or salads, it need not be steamed.
Simply boil it as directed on page 529, but for 18 to 20 minutes, testing it fre-
quently until it is tender. Drain it in a colander, fluff it under cold running wa-
ter, and allow it to drain thoroughly before using it.

RISOTTO

PILAF

PILAU

[Risotto — Braised Rice]

This is the standard French method for braised rice, meaning rice sauteed
in fat and onions, then cooked in seasoned liquid. Whether the final dish is
labeled risotto, pilaf, or pilau it is usually done in this manner regardless of the
traditional techniques of other rice-eating nations. A good risotto is simple to
make if you bear the following points in mind that apply to a plain risotto as
well as to one which includes vegetables, chicken, or sea foods.

SAUTEING

The rice must first be sauteed slowly in butter for 2 to 3 minutes until it
turns a milky color. This cooks the rice-flour coating and prevents the rice from
becoming sticky.

RICE

533

PROPORTIONS

Use the correct amount of liquid: 2 cups for each cup of raw rice.

HEAT

Regulate your heat so the liquid is entirely absorbed in 18 to 20 minutes.
If the liquid is absorbed too quickly, the rice will not be tender. If it is absorbed
too slowly, the rice becomes gummy, the grains disintegrate, and the flavor
of the rice is impaired.

STIRRING

Do not stir the rice until all the liquid has been absorbed.
For 6 people

14 cup finely minced onions

4 Tb butter

A 6-cup fireproof casserole
about 8 inches in diameter
with a tight-fitting cover

1/2 cups clean, unwashed,
raw rice

3 cups boiling liquid, de-
pending on what your
risotto is to be served
with:

Chicken stock or canned
chicken broth
Brown stock or canned
beef bouillon and water
Mushroom broth and wa-
ter

White wine fish stock
White wine or white ver-
mouth, and water
OR, water only
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the onions and butter slowly in the casserole
for about 5 minutes until tender but not browned.

Blend the rice into the onions and butter and stir over
moderate heat for several minutes, not letting the rice
brown. The grains will at first become translucent,
then will gradually turn a milky color.

As soon as the rice looks milky, pour in the boiling
liquid. Add the herb bouquet, and salt and pepper to
taste. Bring to the simmer, stir once, cover the cas-
serole, and set in lower third of preheated oven. As
soon as the liquid maintains itself at a very slow boil,
in 4 to 5 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees; the boil
should be regulated so the liquid has been absorbed
by the rice in 18 to 20 minutes. Do not touch the rice
for a total of 18 minutes. Then uncover. Tilt casserole
and lift rice with a fork to see if all liquid at bottom of
casserole has evaporated. If not, return to oven for 2
to 3 minutes more. Then remove the casserole from
the oven. If you wish the rice to be slightly al dente,
uncover it. If you wish it to become a little more
tender, leave it covered for 20 minutes. Discard herb

534

CHAPTER EIGHT: VEGETABLES

A small herb bouquet: 2
parsley sprigs, / } bay leaf,
and /s tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

bouquet. Fluff the rice with a fork and correct season-
ing.

(*) If not to be used immediately, keep warm over
barely simmering water. Or set aside, and reheat cas-
serole over boiling water when needed.

VARIATION

Riz en Couronne

[Rice Ring]

This is how to make a ring of rice which is to be filled with creamed
shellfish, sauteed chicken livers with ham and mushrooms, buttered peas, or
whatever luscious sauced tidbits you wish.

For 6 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A 6-cup ring mold, smeared
with Zi Tb butter
The preceding risotto
A round of waxed paper
A lid to cover the mold
A pan of boiling water to
hold the mold

Turn the risotto into the buttered mold, patting down
the rice lightly; it should fill the mold exactly. Lay
the waxed paper over the risotto. Cover with the lid,
and set the mold in the pan of boiling water. Place in
lower third of preheated oven for 10 minutes.

A round serving platter,
heated and lightly but-
tered

Just before serving, turn platter upside down over
mold and reverse the two, to unmold the rice ring
onto the platter.

(*) If risotto is not to be served immediately, leave it
in its mold, covered, and over barely simmering
water.

CONVERTED RICE

Converted rice may be turned into an excellent risotto. Follow the pro-
portions called for on the package but use stock instead of water, and before
adding the rice, mix it with minced onions which have been cooked in butter.
Then follow the cooking directions on the package.

RICE

535

PACKAGED PRECOOKED RICE

This is the type of rice which, according to the printed directions, you
mix with salt and boiling water, then cover and let stand for 5 minutes. It can
be made much more interesting if you add to it onions or shallots cooked in
butter, and use a well seasoned boiling stock rather than boiling salted water.

WILD RICE

Wild rice has hardly been heard of in France, but you can cook it deli-
ciously in the French manner by using a modified risotto technique.

For 6 to 8 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/ cups wild rice
3 quarts boiling water
1 Vi Tb salt

Drop the rice in the boiling salted water and boil un-
covered for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

3 Tb each: finely minced
carrots, onions, and celery

4 Tb butter

A 2 '/2-quart fireproof casse-
role with cover
1V2 cups brown stock or
canned beef bouillon
1 bay leaf
X A tsp thyme
Salt and pepper

While the rice is boiling, cook the minced vegetables
slowly in the butter in the casserole for 5 to 6 minutes
until tender but not browned. Then add the drained
rice and stir over moderate heat for 2 minutes to im-
pregnate it with the butter. Add the stock or bouillon,
bay leaf, thyme, and seasonings to taste. Bring to the
boil. Cover the casserole and set in lower third of
preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the rice
is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. Add a few
drops more liquid if all has been absorbed before the
rice is tender. The rice grains should emerge separate
and lightly filmed with butter. Discard bay leaf. Fluff
rice with a fork and correct seasoning.

(*) May be cooked in advance and reheated when
needed.

CHAPTER NINE

COLD BUFFET

Preparations Froides

Cold vegetables, composed salads, aspics, molded mousses, pates, and
terrifies, any of these may be served as a first course for a dinner, or be the
mainstay of a summer meal. And a collection of such dishes on a buffet table
can be most inviting. Recipes for various salad dressings are in dre Sauce
chapter under vinaigrettes starting on page 94, and mayonnaise starting on
page 87.

COLD VEGETABLES

Legumes Scrvis Froids

* LEGUMES A LA GRECOUE

[Vegetables Cooked in Aromatic Broth]

Vegetables a la Grecque, a refreshing idea for any time of the year, are
simmered in an aromatic court bouillon of water, oil, herbs, and seasonings.
After the vegetables have been removed to a serving dish, the court bouillon is
boiled down to concentrate its flavor, and is poured over the vegetables. When
the vegetables are cold, serve as hors d’oeuvre, or combine them with other
vegetables for a composed salad.

Court Bouillon

[The Aromatic Broth]

For 1 pound ( about 4 cups) of vegetables

COLD VEGETABLES

537

2 cups water Place all the ingredients to the left in the covered

6 Tb olive oil saucepan and simmer for io minutes.

Vi cup lemon juice
Z2 tsp salt

2 Tb minced shallot or
green onions

The following (tied in
cheesecloth if you wish):

6 sprigs parsley including
roots if available
1 small celery stalk with
leaves or Va tsp celery
seeds

x sprig fresh fennel or /a
tsp fennel seeds
1 sprig fresh thyme or Ya
tsp dried thyme
12 peppercorns
6 coriander seeds
A 2 14 -quart enameled or
stainless steel saucepan
with cover

Champignons a la Grecque
[Mushrooms a la Grecque ]

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, but-
ton size if possible
2/2 cups simmering court
bouillon (preceding rec-
ipe)

Trim and wash the mushrooms. Leave whole if small,
quarter if large. Add them to the simmering court
bouillon, tossing them to cover with the liquid. Cover
and simmer for 10 minutes.

A slotted spoon
A serving dish
Salt and pepper

Remove the mushrooms from the saucepan with the
slotted spoon, and arrange them in a serving dish.
Rapidly boil down the court bouillon until it has re-
duced to about l /i cup. Correct seasoning, and strain
it over the mushrooms.

( # ) When cold, the mushrooms may be covered and
refrigerated, and will keep for 2 to 3 days.

2 to 3 Tb minced parsley or
mixed green herbs

Sprinkle with herbs just before serving.

538

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

VARIATIONS: OTHER VEGETABLES A LA GRECQUE

Any of the following vegetables may be prepared a la Grecque. In each
case, make a court bouillon as directed in the preceding recipe, prepare and
simmer the vegetables as indicated for each kind in the list, then drain and ar-
range on a serving dish. Boil down court bouillon until it has reduced to be-
tween / and *4 cup, pour it over the vegetables, and chill. Sprinkle with
minced, fresh green herbs just before serving.

Ponds d’Artichauts a la Grecque

[Artichoke Hearts a la Grecque ]

Fresh artichoke hearts

Before cooking, trim the artichoke hearts as described on page 428. The
choke is removed after cooking. Simmering time is from 30 to 40 minutes.

Frozen artichoke hearts

Before cooking, defrost the artichoke hearts enough so that they can be
separated from each other. As they have been acidulated before freezing, use
only 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in the court bouillon. Simmering time is about
10 minutes.

Celeri a la Grecque

[Celery a la Grecque]

Buy bunches labeled “celery hearts.” Remove any tough outside stalks.
Cut off the tops of the bunches to just below the main body of leaves. Halve
or quarter the bunches lengthwise, wash thoroughly under running water, and
arrange them in a baking dish. Pour on die simmering court bouillon, adding
more water if necessary to cover the celery. Cover the dish, bring to the sim-
mer, and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or undl
tender.

Concombres a la Grecque
[Cucumbers a la Grecque]

Peel, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut
die halves into f 2 - inch strips, then into 2-inch pieces. Toss widi / 2 teaspoon of

COLD VEGETABLES

539

salt for each 4 cups of cucumber pieces, and let stand in a bowl for 20 minutes.
Drain thoroughly, and proceed with the recipe. Simmering time is about ro
minutes.

Aubergines a la Grecque

[Eggplant a la Grecque ]

Peel the eggplant, cut into serving pieces, and let stand for 20 minutes in
/ teaspoon of salt and r teaspoon of lemon juice for each 4 cups of eggplant
pieces. Drain thoroughly and proceed with the recipe. Simmering time is about
10 minutes.

Endives a la Grecque

[Endive a la Grecque ]

Fenouil a la Grecque

[Fennel a la Grecque ]

Quarter or halve the endives or fennel lengthwise, wash under cold, run-
ning water, then proceed with the recipe. Simmering time is 30 to 40 minutes.

Poireaux a la Grecque

[Leeks a la Grecque ]

Trim off the roots, make two lengthwise cuts in green part, remove a por-
tion of the green tops to leave the leeks about 7 inches long. Wash thoroughly
under cold, running water, being sure you get off all grit from each leaf. Ar-
range the leeks in a fireproof dish, pour on the simmering court bouillon, and
add boiling water, if necessary, to cover the leeks. Cover tire baking dish, bring
to the simmer on top of the stove, then bake in a preheated, 350-degree oven
for 30 to 40 minutes or until the leeks are tender. Drain off court bouillon, boil
it down to / 3 cup, pour over the leeks, and chill.

Oignons a la Grecque

| Onions a la Grecque ]

Buy pearl onion*, or small white onions about an inch in diameter. Drop
them for 1 minute in boiling water to cover, drain and peel them, then pierce

540

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

a cross in their root ends to insure even cooking. Proceed with the recipe. Sim-
mering time is 30 to 40 minutes.

Poivrons a la Grecque

[Red or Green Bell Peppers a la Grecque \

Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove seeds and ribs, and slice or quarter
the peppers. Proceed with the recipe. Simmering time is about 10 minutes.

CELERl-RAVE REMOULADE

[Celery Root in Mustard Sauce]

Celeriac or celery root prepared in this manner makes a typically French
hors d’oeuvre. The root must first be softened in some way. You may drop it in
boiling water for a minute before dressing it, or steep it in salt and lemon juice,
then dress it several hours before serving. We have suggested the latter system
as it removes the slight bitterness of celeriac, softens it, yet preserves its flavor
and freshness of taste.

note: Celeri-rave remoulade has nothing to do with sauce remoulade, a may-
onnaise with pickles, capers, and other ingredients.

1 lb. celery root (3 to 3V2
cups when cut)

A 2-quart mixing bowl

1/2 tsp salt

1V2 tsp lemon juice

Peel the celery root and cut it into julienne match-
sticks as illustrated on page 28. Toss in a bowl with
the salt and lemon juice, and let steep for 30 minutes.
Rinse the pieces in cold water, drain, and dry them in
a towel.

4 Tb strong Dijon-type pre-
pared mustard
3 Tb boiling water
A wire whip

Zi to V2 cup olive oil or salad
oil

2 Tb wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Warm the mixing bowl in hot water. Dry it. Add the
mustard and beat in the boiling water by droplets
with a wire whip. Then beat in the oil by droplets to
make a thick creamy sauce. Beat in the vinegar by
drops, and season to taste.

2 to 3 Tb chopped mixed
green herbs or parsley

Fold the celery root into the sauce, and allow it to
marinate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Decorate with
herbs before serving.

POTATO SALAD

541

POMMES DE TERRE A L’HUILE

[French Potato Salad — sliced potatoes in oil and vinegar dressing]

French potato salad is prepared while the boiled, sliced potatoes are still
warm, so they will absorb the dressing. The salad may be eaten warm with
grilled sausage, or cold. Mayonnaise may be folded into the potatoes if you
wish. Be sure to use potatoes which may be boiled and sliced without crum-
bling.

For about 6 cups

2 lbs. “boiling” potatoes
(8 to 10 medium potatoes)

A 3-quart mixing bowl

Scrub the potatoes. Drop them in boiling salted water
to cover, and boil until the potatoes are just tender
when pierced with a small knife. Drain. As soon as
they are cool enough to handle, peel, and cut them
into slices about Y & inch thick. Place them in the mix-
ing bowl.

4 Tb dry white wine, or 2
Tb dry white vermouth
and 2 Tb stock or canned
bouillon

2 Tb wine vinegar, or 1 Tb
vinegar and 1 Tb lemon
juice

1 tsp prepared mustard

Z tsp salt

A small bowl and wire whip

6 Tb olive oil or salad oil

Pepper

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced
shallots or green onions

2 to 3 Tb chopped mixed
green herbs or parsley

Pour the wine or vermouth and stock or bouillon over
the warm potato slices and toss very gently. Set aside
for a few minutes until the potatoes have absorbed
the liquids.

Beat the vinegar or vinegar and lemon juice, mustard,
and salt in the small bowl until the salt has dissolved.
Then beat in the oil by droplets. Season to taste, and
stir in the optional shallots or onions. Pour the dress-
ing over the potatoes and toss gently to blend.

Serve them while still warm, or chill. Decorate with
herbs before serving.

COMPOSED SALADS

Salades Composees

Here are three recipes and several suggestions for salad mixtures. Green
vegetables will lose their fresh color if they sit in a vinaigrette for more than

542

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

half an hour; therefore prepare each component of the salad in a separate dish.
Just before serving, season each with dressing, and put together the salad in its
serving bowl.

SALADE NI^OISE

[Mediterranean Combination Salad]

Tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, and
lettuce are the usual elements for this appetizing combination, and you may
arrange the salad in any manner you wish. Serve as an hors d’oeuvre or as a
main-course summer salad.

For 6 to 8 people

3 cups cold, blanched, green
beans, page 443 (see also
directions for frozen
beans, page 449)

3 or 4 quartered tomatoes

1 cup vinaigrette (French
dressing) with herbs, page
94

1 head Boston lettuce, sepa-
rated, washed, drained,
and dried

A salad bowl

3 cups cold French potato
salad (preceding recipe)

1 cup canned tuna chunks,
drained

Vi cup pitted black olives,
preferably the dry Medi-
terranean type

2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs, cold,
peeled, and quartered

6 to 12 canned anchovy
filets, drained

2 to 3 Tb minced, fresh
green herbs

Just before serving, season the beans and tomatoes
with several spoonfuls of vinaigrette. Toss the lettuce
leaves in the salad bowl with / cup of vinaigrette,
and place the leaves around the edge of the bowl. Ar-
range the potatoes in the bottom of the bowl. Decorate
with the beans and tomatoes, interspersing them with
a design of tuna chunks, olives, eggs, and anchovies.
Pour the remaining dressing over the salad, sprinkle
with herbs, and serve.

COMPOSED SALADS

543

SALADE DE BOEUF A LA PARISIENNE

[Cold Beef and Potato Salad]

This is an attractive way to use cold boiled or braised beef as a main-
course summer dish or on a cold buffet table. We shall not give proportions
because they depend on how much meat you have.

Thinly sliced, cold, boiled or
braised beef

Vinaigrette (French dress-
ing) with herbs, page 94
Thinly sliced rings of mild
onion

A serving platter
French potato salad, page
54i

Boston lettuce or water cress
Quartered hard-boiled eggs
Quartered tomatoes
Optional: cold cooked green
beans, broccoli or cauli-
flower; canned beets
Minced fresh green herbs

In separate bowls, marinate the beef and the onion
rings in vinaigrette for half an hour or longer. When
ready to serve the salad, arrange the beef on the platter
alternating the slices with onion rings. Decorate the
platter with the rest of the ingredients, spoon a bit of
vinaigrette over them, and sprinkle with herbs.

* SALADE A LA D’ARGENSON

[Rice or Potato and Beet Salad]

When rice or potatoes are marinated with beets in a vinaigrette for a suf-
ficient amount of time, the whole mass becomes beet-colored. Then it can be
tossed in an herbal mayonnaise, and all sorts of cooked vegetables, meat, or fish
leftovers can be mixed into it to make a nourishing hors d’oeuvre, a main-
course dish, or an attractive addition to a picnic.

For 1 quart or more

2 cups boiled rice riz au Toss the rice or potatoes, beets, and shallots or onions

blanc, page 532, OR, 2 in a bowl with the vinaigrette. Season to taste. Cover,

cups of warm boiled pota- and refrigerate for at least 12, preferably 24. hours,
toes, peeled and diced

544

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

2 cups diced cooked or
canned beets

4 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
A 2-quart bowl
/a cup vinaigrette (French
dressing), page 94

1Z2 to 2 cups mayonnaise Shortly before serving, fold in the mayonnaise and
with green herbs, page other ingredients. Season carefully. Arrange the salad
87, or the recipe follow- in the bowl and decorate with the suggestions listed,
ing it, for green mayon-
naise

Salt and pepper
1 cup, one or a mixture
of the following:

Cooked green peas, or
cooked and diced green
beans, cauliflower, broc-
coli, carrots, turnips, or
asparagus; diced cooked
beef, pork, poultry, or
fish; flaked canned tuna
or salmon; diced raw ap-
ples; grated raw carrots;
walnuts
A salad bowl

Decorate with any or all of
the following:

Green or black olives,
anchovies, sliced hard-
boiled eggs, water cress or
parsley sprigs

ASPICS

Preparations Froides en Aspic

Cold chicken decorated with tarragon leaves and shimmering with jelly,
a molded aspic of chicken livers, or a boeuf mode en gelee — these are lovely
summer dishes, and fun to do if you enjoy decorating. You may be frightfully

ASPICS

545

elegant with your designs, or amusing, and, after a little experience, very pro-
fessional.

definitions: gelee, jelly, aspic

Gelee is the French culinary term for beef, veal, chicken, or fish stock
which stiffens when cold because it contains natural gelatin, or because gelatin
has been added to it. Liquid or jelled, it is always spoken of as gelee. We shall
refer to gelee, whether hot or cold, liquid or set, as jelly or jellied stock. Aspic,
in French, usually refers not to the jelly, but to the whole decorated dish of
various elements coated with or molded in jelly.

recipes for jelly

Directions for homemade jellied stock are on page 112 in the Stocks and
Aspic section. These stocks are almost always clarified, meaning that they are
rendered clear and sparkling through a simmering with egg whites; directions
for clarification are on page hi. Canned bouillons and consommes are turned
into jelly by the addition of powdered gelatin, as described on page 113; fol-
lowing this are directions for wine flavorings.

HOW TO WORK WITH JELLY

Never fail to test out the jelly before you begin to work with it: Pour /
inch of jelly into a small, chilled saucer, and refrigerate for about 10 minutes
or until set. Then break it up with a fork and let it stand at room temperature;
the pieces should hold their shape but not be rubbery. Further information and
gelatin proportions are on page 113.

Allow yourself plenty of time and cracked ice, for the jelly must be given
full opportunity to set; it cannot be hurried. A complicated decoration need
not be completed in one continuous operation. Successive coats of jelly may be
spooned over the dish whenever you have time, and the process may go on in
spurts all one day and on into the next.

Coating Foods with Aspic Jellied stocks set very quickly once diey are
cold. To avoid continual warmings of the whole amount when you are to coat
foods with successive layers of jelly, heat just what you will need at one time
in a small saucepan. Stir over cracked ice until the liquid turns syrupy, indicat-
ing it is about to congeal. Then remove the pan immediately from its bed of
ice, and spoon a layer of jelly over the chilled food. Refrigerate the platter for

546

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

about io minutes to set the layer of jelly, and repeat the process two or three
times until you have built up a coating of jelly almost % of an inch thick.

DECORATIVE ELEMENTS

Chopped Jelly When you spoon jelly over foods arranged on a platter,
you will usually need to fill up empty spaces or cover dribbles of jelly that have
run off the edges of the food. Chopped jelly is an easy solution, and is made as
follows: Pour a j 4 -i nc h layer of jelly into a plate or pan and chill until set.
Then make narrow crosshatches through the jelly with a knife to cut it into
small pieces % inch or less in size. Either force the jelly through a pastry bag
to outline the food or to fill up the platter, or heap it into place with a spoon.

Jelly Cutouts These make nice decorations around the edge of a plat-
ter. Chill a 14 -inch layer of jelly in a plate or pan, then cut it into squares, tri-
angles, or diamonds, and it is ready to use.

Designs and Colors You can make fanciful decorations of curlicues,
sprays, branches and flowers, or geometric patterns out of the ingredients listed
below. Use them as follows: First spoon two or three layers of jelly over die
chilled food; chill your decorative materials and cut them into various shapes.
Then, holding them with two trussing needles or skewers, dip them into al-
most-set jelly and arrange them over the food. Refrigerate the platter of food
to set the designs, then give a final coating or two of jelly to cover the decora-
tions with a transparent film.

For Black: Use thin slices of truffle or black olives.

For Red: Use thin strips, dice, or dots of canned red pimiento. The pulp
of peeled, seeded, and juiced tomatoes, page 505, may be diced or sliced, or
twisted in the corner of a towel to make little balls.

For Yellow: Use hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed with softened butter,
and pushed through a pastry tube to make dots or fluted designs.

For Orange: Use cooked carrots sliced, diced, or cut into strips.

For Green: Use fresh or pickled tarragon leaves, dropped in boiling wa-
ter for 30 seconds, refreshed in cold water, and dried on a towel. Cooked green
peppers cut into strips or dice. The green tops of leeks or green onions sim-
mered in water for several minutes until softened, refreshed in cold water, and
dried; cut into thin strips, these can then be formed into curlicues, or made to
look like branches of mimosa (use dots of “yellow” for die flowers).

For White: Use hard-boiled egg white, thinly sliced and cut into strips,
dice, or shapes.

ASPICS

547

OEUFS EN GELEE
[Poached Eggs in Aspic]

Serve eggs in aspic as a first course or luncheon dish, or arrange them
around a platter of cold meats, fish, or vegetables.

For 6 eggs

3 cups jelly (jellied stock,
page 1 12, or canned con-
somme with gelatin, page
” 3 )

6 round or oval molds of '/2
cup capacity, preferably of
metal as they are easier to
unmold

Pour y 8 inch of jelly in the bottom of each mold and
refrigerate for about to minutes or until set.

12 tarragon leaves, fresh or Drop the tarragon leaves into boiling water for 30

preserved in vinegar seconds. Refresh in cold water, drain, dry, and chill.

Dip them in a bit of almost-set jelly, and arrange them
in a cross over the jelly in the bottom of each mold.
Chill for a few minutes to set the tarragon.

6 chilled poached eggs, page
116

Place an egg in each mold, its least attractive side up.
Pour in almost-set jelly to cover the eggs. Chill for an
hour or so, until the jelly is well set.

Chilled plates At serving time, dip each mold for 3 to 4 seconds in

Lettuce leaves hot water. Run a knife around the edge of the jelly,

turn the mold upside down and, giving it a sharp
knock on the bottom, unmold on a chilled serving
plate over a bed of lettuce leaves.

OTHER DECORATIONS

Lay a thin slice of ham over the cross of tarragon leaves. Or make designs
of truffle in the bottom of the mold, top with a slice of foie gras, then add the
poached egg and the rest of the jelly.

548

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

* FOIES DE VOLAILLE EN ASPIC

[Chicken Livers in Aspic]

Chicken livers sauteed in butter, simmered in wine, then molded in aspic
make a delicious hors d’oeuvre, and are most simple to do.

For six 1/2-cup molds

2/2 cups jelly (jellied stock, Pour a [ 4 -inch layer of jelly into the bottom of each
page 112, or canned con- mold and chill until set.
somme with gelatin, page
” 3 )

6 round or oval molds of V2
cup capacity, preferably of
metal

6 large, whole chicken livers Look over the chicken livers, and cut out any blackish

or greenish spots. Dry the livers thoroughly on paper
towels.

An 8-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb butter

1 Tb oil

2 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions

Set the skillet over moderately high heat with the but-
ter and oil. When you see that the butter foam has
almost subsided, add the chicken livers. Stir and toss
for 2 minutes to brown the livers very lightly. Add
the shallots or onions and toss for 5 seconds more.
Hold a cover askew over the skillet and drain out all
the sauteing fat.

Big pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of allspice
Z2 cup Madeira or port, or
Vi cup cognac

Sprinkle the seasonings over the livers; pour in the
wine or cognac. Cover the skillet and simmer very
slowly for 8 minutes, then remove the livers to a side
dish. Rapidly boil down the cooking juices until re-
duced to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat, roll
the livers in the skillet to cover with the juices, and
chill.

Optional: 6 slices of truffle
Chilled plates or platter
Lettuce leaves

Place a slice of optional truffle over the jelly layer in
each mold, and arrange a chicken liver over it. Fill the
molds with the remaining jelly, which should be syr-
upy and almost set. Chill for an hour or so. Unmold
on chilled serving plates or a platter, over lettuce
leaves.

ASPICS

549

VARIATION

Homard, Crabe, on Crevettes en Aspic

[Lobster, Crab, or Shrimp in Aspic]

The preceding system may also be adapted for lobster, crab, or shrimp
meat in aspic.

POULET EN GELEE A L’ESTRAGON

[Chicken Tarragon in Aspic]

Also for: turkey, game hens, squab pigeons, guinea hen, and pheasant.

Chicken in tarragon jelly is one of the simplest and best of the cold poul-
try dishes. The chicken may be poached by complete immersion in tarragon-
flavored stock which is then clarified and turned into jelly, or you may follow
the simpler version here.

For 6 people

Cooking the chicken

A 3-lb. ready-to-cook roast-
ing chicken

Vs tsp salt, Vi Tb butter, and
3 sprigs fresh tarragon or
Vi tsp dried tarragon for
inside the chicken

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil for
browning the chicken

A heavy, covered, fireproof
casserole

!4 tsp salt

3 sprigs fresh tarragon or Vi
tsp dried tarragon for the
casserole

Following the procedure for casserole-roasted chicken
with tarragon, page 249, season the cavity with salt,
butter, and tarragon. Truss and butter the chicken,
then brown it on all sides in hot butter and oil in a
casserole. Salt the chicken, add the tarragon, cover the
casserole, and roast in a preheated 325-degree oven for
1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken,
and let it cool to room temperature. Then chill it.

T he tarragon jelly

2 or 3 sprigs fresh tarragon Stir the tarragon into the jelly; bring to the simmer,

or 1 tsp dried tarragon cover, and let steep over very low heat for 10 minutes.

4 cups jelly (jellied stock
made from brown chicken

55 °

stock, page 112, or canned
consomme with gelatin,
page 113)

An enameled saucepan

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

4 to 5 Tb Madeira or port Remove from heat, and stir in the wine by spoonfuls,

A chilled saucer tasting, until you have achieved the flavor you wish.

Strain through a very fine sieve or several thicknesses
of washed cheesecloth. Test a bit of it in a chilled sau-
cer in the refrigerator, to be sure it will jell to the right
consistency.

Decoratmg the chicken

An oval serving platter Pour a J/ 8 -inch layer of jelly into the platter, and chill
about 16 inches long in the refrigerator until set.

Carve the chicken and arrange it over the layer of
jelly. Return the platter to the refrigerator.

A small saucepan
A bowl of cracked ice

Pour a cupful of jelly into the saucepan and stir over
ice until it has become syrupy. Immediately remove
from the ice, and spoon the almost-set jelly over the
chicken; this first layer will not adhere very well.
Chill the chicken for 10 minutes, and spoon another
layer of almost-set jelly over it. Repeat.

20 to 30 fresh tarragon leaves
or tarragon leaves pre-
served in vinegar
2 trussing needles or
skewers, or a small,
pointed knife (for picking
up tarragon leaves)

A saucer of almost-set jelly

Drop the tarragon leaves in boiling water for 10 sec-
onds. Refresh in ice water, and dry. Dip each leaf in
the almost-set jelly, and arrange in a decorative pattern
over the chicken. Chill. Then spoon on a final layer
of almost-set jelly.

A pan or platter

Pour the remaining jelly into the pan or platter and
chill until set. Chop the jelly into j 4 _ >nch pieces and
distribute it around the chicken.

Refrigerate. Unless the weather is very warm, remove
the chicken from the refrigerator half an hour before
serving; it will have more flavor if it is not too cold.

ASPICS

551

* SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE EN CHA UD-FROID,
BLANCHE NEIGE

[Breast of Chicken in Chaud-froid]

Here is a decorative, delicious, and easy-to-execute aspic which lends it-
self to numerous variations as suggested at the end of the recipe. The cold
cream sauce for this, which congeals into an aspic covering over the chicken
breasts, looks like the classic sauce chaud-froid — Hour-based, jellied veloute
with cream. The sauce chaud-froid blanche neige used here is purely a reduc-
tion of tarragon-flavored stock and cream in which gelatin has been dissolved;
it is much lighter and nicer in texture dian the classic sauce, we think. Serve
chicken breasts in chaud-froid as a luncheon dish, or as part of a cold buffet.

For 6 people

6 supremes (the skinless
and boneless breast-halves
from 3 frying chickens)

A serving platter
Waxed paper

1% cups whipping cream
1V2 cups excellent white
chicken stock, page 237,
OR, canned chicken broth
simmered for 20 minutes
with 54 cup thinly sliced
carrots, 54 cup thinly
sliced onions, and a pinch
of thyme

1 sprig fresh tarragon or 54
tsp dried tarragon
Salt and white pepper

1 Tb (1 envelope) gelatin
3 Tb dry white vermouth

Poach the chicken breasts in butter as described at the
beginning of the recipe, supremes de volatile a blanc,
page 268. Drain them, and let them cool to room tem-
perature. Arrange them in a serving platter, cover
with waxed paper, and chill.

Simmer the cream, chicken stock or broth, and tarra-
gon slowly in the saucepan for about 10 minutes, until
the mixture has reduced to 2 cups. Correct seasoning,
and strain.

Soften the gelatin in the vermouth for a few minutes.
Then beat it into the cream mixture and stir over low
heat until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Cool,
or stir over cracked ice, until the sauce has thickened
slightly and is just about to congeal.

Spoon a layer of sauce over the chilled chicken breasts,
and refrigerate until the sauce has set. Repeat with

552

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

successive coats of almost-set sauce until all but enough
for a final layer has been used.

A handful of fresh tarragon
leaves or tarragon leaves
preserved in vinegar;

OR, thinly sliced or finely
diced truffle
Water cress or parsley

Drop the tarragon leaves in boiling water for 30 sec-
onds, refresh in ice water, and dry. Immediately after
coating the chicken with the final layer of sauce, dec-
orate with the tarragon leaves or truffles. Surround
the edge of the platter with water cress, or sprigs of
parsley, and refrigerate again until serving time.

AN ELABORATION

After the tarragon leaves or slices of truffle have set, the chicken breasts
may be given one or two coats of almost-set jelly, as in the preceding recipe for
chicken tarragon, and the platter may be decorated with chopped jelly or jelly
cutouts.

VARIATIONS

Sitpr ernes de Volatile en Cbaud-froid a I’Ecossaise

[Breast of Chicken in Chaud-jroid with Diced Vegetables]

Ingredients for the master
recipe

Vi cup each: finely diced
carrots, celery, and onions
cooked until tender in
1Z2 Tb butter
1 or 2 finely minced truffles,
or 14 cup diced mush-
rooms cooked in butter

Proceed as for the master recipe, but stir the cooked
carrots, celery, and onions into the chicken stock and
cream mixture as it is reducing. Mix in the truffles or
mushrooms, then the gelatin called for in the recipe,
and continue as directed. With this sauce, the chicken
breasts need no other decoration.

Supremes et Mousse de Volatile en Chaud-jroid

[Breasts of Chicken and Mousse of Chicken in Chaud-jroid]

When you wish to make something wonderful for an elaborate buffet,
such as a wedding breakfast, here is a good idea. Directions for chopped jelly,

ASPICS

553

jelly cutouts, and other decorative elements are at the beginning of this secdon
on aspics. We shall not note the number of servings for this recipe, as it is de-
signed primarily to give you an indication of how to go about such a dish.

Ingredients for chicken
breasts in chaud-froid
(the master recipe)

Cook and chill the chicken breasts and prepare the
chaud-froid sauce as directed in the master recipe.
The chicken breasts may be cut in halves or in thirds,
if you wish.

A mousse of chicken, page Unmold the mousse on the platter and pour around it
560, or of chicken livers, a 14 -inch layer of almost-set jelly. Chill,
page 559

A chilled serving platter
Sufficient jelly for glazing
and for other decoradons
(jellied stock, page 1x2, or
consomme with gelatin,
page 113)

Place the chilled chicken breasts on a rack set over a
tray, and coat the breasts with several layers of chaud-
froid sauce, chilling between each layer. Decorate
with truffles, tarragon leaves, or whatever else you
wish; then chill and glaze with coats of almost-set
jelly. With two knives lift each breast off the rack
and arrange on the platter around the mousse. Deco-
rate platter with chopped jelly or jelly cutouts. Chill
until shortly before serving time.

Crabe ou Homard en Chaud-froid, Blanche Neige

[Crab or Lobster in Chaud-froid]

Crab or lobster in chaud-froid follows the general method of chicken
breasts in chaud-froid, and makes a decorative cold first course or summer
luncheon dish. Directions for steaming live lobster (which also apply to crab)
are at the beginning of the lobster Thermidor recipe on page 221; boil down
the steaming-liquid afterward, and use it in place of the fish stock called for in
the following recipe.

For an hors d' oeuvre serving 6 people

554

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

2 cups cooked lobster or fro-
zen lobster or crab meat

3 Tb butter

An enameled skillet

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

Vs tsp dr)' mustard

Pinch Cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

3 Tb cognac

1 14 cups whipping cream

1 14 cups white-wine fish
stock (shellfish steaming-
liquid, or the white-wine
stock on page 114, or the
emergency stock follow-
ing it)

x sprig fresh tarragon or 14
tsp dried tarragon

1 Tb (1 envelope) gelatin
softened in 3 Tb dry
white vermouth

6 crab, lobster, or scallop
shells, or porcelain or glass
shells of about 14 cup
capacity

Crab or lobster claws, scal-
loped shellfish meat,
truffle slices, or blanched
tarragon leaves (enough
to decorate the shells)

Optional: 1 cup almost-set
jellied stock, page 112-13

Dice or flake the shellfish meat. Heat the butter to
bubbling in the skillet, then stir in the shallots or on-
ions and shellfish meat, and cook slowly for 2 minutes.
Stir in the mustard and Cayenne pepper, and season
to taste. Then pour in the cognac, and boil rapidly for
a minute or two, shaking the skillet, until the cognac
has reduced almost completely. Chill.

Following the recipe for breast of chicken in chaud-
froid, page 551, simmer the cream and stock together
with the tarragon until reduced to 2 cups. Dissolve
the gelatin completely in the hot sauce, strain, correct
seasoning, and cool until the sauce is almost set.

Fold i 1 / cups of the almost-set sauce into the chilled
shellfish meat. Arrange the mixture in the shells, and
coat with the remaining sauce. Decorate with shell-
fish claws, shellfish meat, truffle slices, or tarragon
leaves. Then, if you wish, chill, and coat with a layer
of jellied stock. Chill until shortly before serving
time.

VOLAILLES EN ES CAB EC HE

[Cold Fowl in Lemon Jelly]

For: chicken, pigeon, mature pheasant and partridge, and for game hens.
The Paris restaurateur from whom we borrowed this recipe makes a

ASPICS

555

specialty of escabeche in the late fall when partridge are no longer young, and
have turned from perdreau to perdrix. The birds are slowly simmered in wine,
stock, olive oil, vinegar, aromatic vegetables, herbs, garlic, and slices of lemon.
They are cooled in this liquid which, because of the pectin in the lemon and
the gelatin in the poultry bones, turns into a very light jelly. If you want a
stiffer jelly, you can add powdered gelatin to the liquid after the birds are
cooked. Escabbche, which is Spanish in origin, is usually associated with fish,
but it is also extremely successful for elderly poultry as the lemon and vinegar
help to tenderize the flesh. Simmering times for various birds are as follows:
Cut-up frying chicken, i hour
Cut-up roasting chicken, i/ 2 hours
Cut-up stewing chicken, i/ 2 hours or more

Whole Cornish game hen or pigeon weighing about if pounds, 1 /
hours

Mature, whole partridge, 2 to 2*4 hours
Mature, cut-up pheasant, 2 to 1 / hours

For 1 cut-up, 4-lb. stewing chicken (or 1 cut-up, 4 -lb. pheasant, or
2 whole game hens or partridges, simmered according to the preceding time-
table)

*/2 cup each: thinly sliced
onions, carrots and celery
6 cloves peeled garlic
A 2-quart saucepan
Z2 cup olive oil

Place the vegetables and garlic in the saucepan and
cook slowly with the olive oil for 10 minutes without
browning.

Zt cup dry white wine or Zs
cup dry white vermouth
Zi cup wine vinegar
Z2 lemon cut into Vs-inch
slices

Z2 cup thinly sliced green
or red bell peppers
!4 tsp thyme
Zt tsp rosemary
Z2 bay leaf
2 parsley sprigs
5 peppercorns

2 cups white stock or canned
chicken broth
Salt

Stir in all the ingredients at the left and simmer for 10
minutes. Taste for seasoning, and salt lightly if nec-
essary.

55<$

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

A cut-up stewing chicken,
plus the neck, heart, and
peeled gizzard
A heavy, covered, fireproof
casserole just large enough
to hold the chicken
A slotted spoon

Place the neck, heart, and gizzard in the bottom of the
casserole. Arrange the dark meat over them. With a
slotted spoon, distribute half the cooked vegetables and
lemon slices over the dark meat. Then put in the
white meat, cover with the rest of the vegetables, and
pour on the cooking broth. Add water if necessary,
so chicken is just covered with liquid.

Bring to the simmer on top of the stove, cover, and
simmer very slowly either on the stove or in a pre-
heated 300-degree oven for i/ z hours, or until the
chicken is very tender but the meat does not fall from
the bones. Uncover, and allow the chicken to cool in
the stock for half an hour. Remove any loose bones.

A serving dish deep enough
to hold chicken and sauce
Salt and pepper

Arrange the chicken in a deep serving dish. Dip out
the vegetables and lemon slices and distribute them on
and around the chicken. Skim the fat and oil off the
cooking stock and boil the stock down rapidly if nec-
essary until it has reduced to 2 cups. Correct season-
ing, and strain over the chicken. Allow the dish to
cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.
When chilled, the sauce will thicken into the consist-
ency of a jellied soup.

BOEUF MODE EN GELEE

[Cold Braised Beef in Aspic]

The braised beef on page 309 can be turned into a splendid cold dish
with very little trouble. If you are going to make the traditional recipe, the
proceedings must be started at least the day before you are to serve; die beef
needs 24 hours of marination, 5 hours for browning and braising, and 4 to 6
hours for chilling in jelly. Once made, it may be covered and kept under re-
frigeration for 2 to 3 days. A light red wine and French bread would go very
well with it.

For 10 to 12 people

Ingredients for the marina- Marinate and braise the beef, and braise the carrots
tion and braising of a 5-lb. and onions according to the recipe, but omit the final

ASPICS

557

piece of boneless beef, sauce-thickening step. Remove the meat to a carving
page 309, including the board,
braised carrots and onions

2 Tb (2 envelopes) gelatin Degrease the braising liquid thoroughly, then boil it

3 cups cold brown stock or down until it has reduced to 3% to 4 cups. Soften the

canned consomme gelatin in the cold stock or consomme, pour it into the

Salt and pepper braising liquid and stir over low heat until the gelatin

% cup port or brandy has dissolved completely. Correct seasoning carefully.

A chilled saucer Pour in the port or brandy and strain. The liquid

has now become a jelly; test a bit of it in a chilled
saucer as described on page 114.

For a simple arrangement in a mold

A rectangular mold, ter- Slice the beef into serving pieces and arrange in the

vine, or baking dish large mold, interspersing the slices with the braised carrots

enough to hold the sliced and onions. Pour in the jelly, which need not be cold,

meat and vegetables Chill for 4 to 6 hours, or until well set.

A chilled serving platter When ready to serve, dip the mold in hot water for

Water cress, parsley, or several seconds. Run a knife around the edge of the

leaves of Boston lettuce aspic. Turn platter over mold, reverse, and give a

sharp jerk to unmold aspic on platter. Decorate
platter with water cress, parsley, or lettuce.

For a more elaborate arrangement on a platter

Cut the beef into serving pieces and chill. Chill the
braised onions and carrots.

Pour /s inch of the jelly into the serving platter and
chill until set. Then arrange the chilled meat and
vegetables on the layer of jelly.

A small saucepan set in a Pour 2 cups of jelly into the saucepan and stir over

bowl of cracked ice cracked ice until the jelly is syrupy, and on the point

of setting. Spoon a layer over the meat and vegeta-
bles. Chill for 10 minutes. Repeat with 2 or 3 more
layers of almost-set jelly, chilling the meat between
each. Chill the remaining jelly, chop into * 4 -inch
pieces, and arrange it around the platter.

55«

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

MOLDED MOUSSES

Mousses Froides - Mousselines

A beautifully flavored and molded creation glittering in aspic is always
impressive as a first course, as a luncheon dish, or on a cold buffet table. All of
the following are purees of chicken liver, poultry, ham, or fish mixed with
wine and seasonings and, in all but one recipe, jellied stock. Softened butter or
lightly whipped cream is combined with them to give body and what the
French call moelleux or a velvety texture. An electric blender is a great time-
saver. If you do not have one, pass meat twice through the finest blade of the
meat grinder (fish may be pureed in a food mill) then beat in the liquids.

The first recipe in this section may be packed into a decorative bowl and
served just as it is; the rest must be molded. If they are molded plain, without
a jelly lining in the mold, they should be glazed with jelly after they are un-
molded, or with a type of chaud-froid sauce such as the one described for the
fish mousse on page 563. They may then be decorated with truffles, tarragon
leaves, jelly cutouts, or, if it is a fish mousse, with designs of shellfish meat.

HOW TO CHEMISER UN MOULE” OR LINE A MOLD WITH JELLY

A mold lined with jelly is one which contains a fairly stiff coating of jel-
lied stock about % inch thick all over its inside surface. The mousse is packed
into the lined mold, and chilled. When unmolded, the mousse is encased in a
shell of jelly. The jelly should be made from clarified stock so it will be clear,
glistening, and transparent. Recipes for stock, clarification, homemade jellied
stock, and jellies made from canned consomme begin on page 106.

You can roll a mold over cracked ice with spoonfuls of jellied stock until
an adequate layer of jelly has been built up inside the mold, or you can use the
following method which we find easier.

4 cups clarified jelly (jellied
stock, page 112, or con-
somme with gelatin, page
II 3>

A bowl of cracked ice

The jelly should be fairly stiff; be sure to test it as di-
rected in the recipe for jellies before you line your
mold. Chill the jelly over cracked ice until syrupy
and almost set.

A 4-cup mold, preferably of
metal as it is easier to un-
mold

Then pour the almost-set jelly into the mold and place
the mold in cracked ice. Watch it carefully, and as
soon as a '/a-inch layer of jelly has set around the

MOLDED MOUSSES

559

edges of the mold, pour out the unset jelly. If there
is too thick a layer of jelly in the bottom of the mold,
scoop it out with a spoon dipped in hot water.

Chill the mold for about 20 minutes until the jelly lin-
ing is stiff. Then pack the cold mousse into the mold
as directed in whatever recipe you are following.

DECORATIONS

If you wish to decorate the bottom of a mold, begin by pouring into it a
Vl c-inch layer of jelly and chill until firm. Choose any of the decorative sug-
gestions on page 546, or sliced poultry meat, ham, tongue, shrimp, or lobster;
cut into shapes and chill. Dip into almost-set jelly, and arrange on the jelly in
the bottom of the mold. Chill until set, then proceed to line the mold with
jelly as described in the preceding directions.

HOW TO UNMOLD AN ASPIC

Dip the mold in very hot water for 3 to 4 seconds (a nonmetal mold will
require a few seconds longer). Quickly wipe it dry. Invert a chilled serving
platter over it, and turn upside down. Give it a sharp downward jerk to dis-
lodge it from the mold to the platter.

Another method is to invert the mold on a chilled platter, and surround
the mold with a towel wrung out in very hot water. As soon as the aspic drops,
remove the mold.

MOUSSE DE FOIES DE VOLAILLE

[Chicken Liver Mousse]

The following mousse may be packed into a decorative jar and used as
a spread for cocktail appetizers, or molded in aspic for an hors d’oeuvre. It is
easy to make in an electric blender; if you do not have one, puree the liver in
a meat grinder or food mill.

For about 2 cups

1 lb. or about 2 cups chicken Look the livers over and remove any greenish or
livers blackish spots. Cut the livers into J 4 'inch pieces.

560

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

2 Tb minced shallots or
green onions
2 Tb butter
A skillet

An electric blender

Saute with the shallots or green onions in hot butter
for 2 to 3 minutes, until the livers are just stiffened,
but still rosy inside. Scrape into the blender jar.

Vi cup Madeira or cognac Pour the wine or cognac into the saute pan and boil it

down rapidly until it has reduced to 3 tablespoons.
Scrape it into the blender jar.

Va cup whipping cream
/i tsp salt
Vs tsp allspice
Va tsp pepper
Pinch of thyme

Add the cream and seasonings to the blender jar.
Cover and blend at top speed for several seconds until
the liver is a smooth paste.

V2 cup (4 ounces) melted Then add the melted butter and blend several seconds
butter more.

A fairly fine-meshed sieve Force the mixture through the sieve and taste care-
A wooden spoon fully for seasoning.

Salt and pepper

A decorative bowl or jar Pack into the bowl or jar, cover with waxed paper,
Waxed paper and chill for 2 to 3 hours. Or chill until almost set,

then pack into a mold lined with jelly as described on
page 558; chill for several hours before unmolding.

¥■ MOUSSELINE DE V OLAILLE

[Mousse of Chicken, Turkey, Duck, or Game]

This is an excellent way to use up cold fowl, and you may mix several
kinds together if you wish. Foie gras, liver pate, or chicken livers, a good stock,
wine, and careful seasoning give character to the blandness of the meat. If you
do not have an electric blender, puree the ingredients with a meat grinder.

For about 6 cups serving 8 to 10 people

3 Tb minced shallots or
green onions

1 Tb butter

A 4-cup saucepan

2 cups well flavored poultry
stock or wliite stock;

Cook the shallots or onions slowly with the butter in
the saucepan for 2 minutes without browning. Add
the stock and the gelatin mixture, and simmer for 1
minute. Pour into the blender jar.

MOLDED MOUSSES

561

OR, canned chicken broth
simmered for 20 minutes
with V4 cup of thinly
sliced carrots, celery, and
onions, and an herb bou-
quet, then strained
2 Tb (2 envelopes) gelatin
softened in X A cup dry
white wine or vermouth
An electric blender

2 tightly packed cups
chopped, cooked chicken,
turkey, duck, or game-
bird meat

/ cup foie gras (goose
liver), or liver paste;

OR V2 cup chicken livers
lightly sauteed in butter
A 3-quart mixing bowl

Add the poultry meat and foie gras, liver paste, or
sauteed livers to the blender. Cover and blend at top
speed for a minute or two until the ingredients are
pureed. Pour into the bowl.

2 to 3 Tb cognac or Madeira
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Beat in the cognac or wine to taste, and overseason
slightly as the cream, which comes later, will mask
the flavor a bit. Cover and chill until almost set,
stirring occasionally.

Va cup chilled whipping
cream

A chilled bowl
A chilled wire whip
Optional: x or 2 minced
truffles

A 6-cup mold, lightly oiled
OR an 8-cup mold lined
with jelly, page 558

Following directions on page 580, beat the cream until
it has doubled in volume and holds its shape softly.
Fold the cream and optional truffles into the cold
chicken mixture. Pack into the mold. Cover with
waxed paper and chill for several hours before un-
molding.

VARIATIONS

Mousse de Jambon

[Ham Mousse]

Use the same recipe and ingredients as for the preceding chicken mousse,
but substitute 2 l / i cups of lean, chopped, boiled ham for the chicken and foie

562

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

gras; a tablespoon of tomato paste may be added for color. Either 1 or 2 diced
truffles or l / 2 cup minced mushrooms sauteed in butter may be folded into the
mousse with the cream.

Mousse de Saumon

[Salmon Mousse]

Use the same recipe and ingredients as for the master recipe, chicken
mousse, but with 2'/3 cups of cooked or canned salmon instead of chicken and
foie gras, and use a white-wine fish stock, page 114 or 115, instead of white
stock.

* MOUSSELINE DE POISSON, BLANCHE NEIGE

[Fish Mousse— with shellfish and chaud-froid sauce]

This is a handsome cold dish for a first course or luncheon, and looks well
on a cold buffet table. It is important, however, that you season the mixture
with care, and use an excellent stock for your jelly, or the flavor of the mousse
will not be interesting. Instead of molding the mousse, you may heap it into
individual serving shells, then sauce and decorate them as suggested in the
recipe.

If you do not have an electric blender, puree the cooked fish in a food

mill.

For about 6 cups serving 8 to 10 people

314 cups very good white-
wine fish stock, page 114
or 115

(note that i !4 cups are to
be reserved for sauce at
end of recipe)
cup skinless and boneless
sole or flounder filets
A small herb bouquet: 2
parsley sprigs, Zs bay leaf,
and Zt, tsp thyme tied in
cheesecloth

A 2 '/2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

Place 2 cups of the fish stock with the fish and herb
bouquet in the saucepan. Bring slowly almost to the
simmer, cover, and poach the fish at just below the
simmer for about 8 minutes, or until just tender when
pierced with a fork.

MOLDED MOUSSES

563

An electric blender
A slotted spoon

Remove the fish to the blender jar with a slotted
spoon. Discard herb bouquet.

Vz lb. diced fresh mush- Add the mushrooms to the fish stock in the saucepan,
rooms Boil slowly for 8 minutes. Strain, set mushrooms

aside, and return liquid to saucepan.

2 Tb (2 envelopes) gelatin
softened in 4 Tb dry
white vermouth
Salt and white pepper
A 2 '/2-quart mixing bowl

Stir the gelatin mixture into the liquid in the saucepan
and simmer a moment to dissolve the gelatin com-
pletely. Pour into the blender jar with the fish. Cover
and blend at top speed for a minute or two until
pureed. Taste very carefully for seasoning. Pour into
a bowl, stir in the mushrooms, and chill. Stir occa-
sionally until cold and almost set.

% cup chilled whipping
cream, lightly beaten,
page 580

A 6-cup, lightly oiled ring
mold

A chilled serving platter

Fold the whipped cream into the cold fish mixture,
and turn into the oiled mold. Cover with waxed pa-
per and chill for several hours to set. When ready to
decorate, unmold the mousse on the platter and cover
with the following sauce.

Sauce chaud-jroid, blanche neige (2 cups)

The remaining fish stock
from first paragraph (i *4
cups)

1V4 cups whipping cream
*4 tsp tarragon
1 Tb (1 envelope) gelatin
softened in 3 Tb dry white
vermouth

Salt and white pepper
A bowl of cracked ice

Simmer the stock, cream, and tarragon in a saucepan
until reduced to 2 cups. Stir in the gelatin mixture
and simmer a moment to dissolve it completely. Cor-
rect seasoning, and strain. Stir over cracked ice until
the sauce thickens lightly and is about to set.

1V2 cups cooked shrimp,
lobster, or crab meat
warmed in 14 cup dry
white wine or vermouth,
seasoned with salt and
pepper, then chilled
Thin slices of truffle or any
of the decorative sugges-
tions on page 546

Fold Z2 cup of the sauce into the chilled shellfish, and
place in the center of the mousse. Coat the mousse
and shellfish with several spoonfuls of sauce. Chill
for 10 minutes, and repeat with layers of almost-set
sauce. Immediately after the last application of sauce,
decorate the mousse with truffles or whatever else you
have chosen. Chill until serving time.

564

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

VARIATION

Mousseline de Crustaces, Blanche Neige
[Shellfish Mousse]

Substitute cooked shellfish meat for the sole or flounder in the preceding
recipe, but omit the simmering of fish in stock, paragraph one.

PATES AND TERRINES

Pates ct Terrines

The memory of a good French pdte can haunt you for years. Fortunately
they are easy to make, and you can even develop your own special pate maison.
Do not expect a top-notch mixture to be inexpensive, however, for it will con-
tain ground pork, pork fat, and usually veal, as well as cognac, port, or Madeira,
spices, strips or cubes of other meats, game, or liver, and often truffles. If the
mixture is cooked and served cold in its baking dish it is called either a terrine
or a pate. If it is molded in a pastry crust, it is a pate en croute. A boned chicken,
turkey, or duck filled with the same type of mixture is a galantine. Pates and
terrines will keep for about 10 days under refrigeration; they are fine to have
on hand for cold impromptu meals, since all you need to serve with them are
a salad and French bread.

Wines to serve with pates include the dry whites such as Chablis or Ma-
con, roses, or one of the light regional red wines such as Beaujolais or Chinon,
or a good domestic wine of die same general types.

A NOTE ON PORK FAT

Fresh pork fat is an essential ingredient for the type of meat mixture
which goes into a pate. Blended with the meats, it prevents them from being
dry and gives them a lighter texture. Cut into thin sheets, bardes de lard, it is
used to line the inside of the baking dish. The best type is fat back— lard gras.
This comes from the back of the pig next to the skin. It is firm and does not
disintegrate as easily as fat from other parts of the animal. Fresh fat back is
unfortunately difficult to find in America outside of areas catering to special
clienteles. Alternatives are fat salt pork simmered for 10 minutes in water to
freshen it and remove the salt, or fat trimmed from fresh ham, or from around

PATES AND TERRINES 565

a fresh pork loin. Thick strips of fat bacon, simmered for io minutes in water
to remove the smoky taste, may be used to line a baking dish.

BAKING DISHES

Pdtes may be cooked in almost any kind of a baking dish from a special
rectangular or oval mold called a terrine, to a souffle dish, casserole, or bread
pan. The best materials are glazed pottery, porcelain, enameled iron, or pyrex.
Cover the meat mixture with aluminum foil, and the dish with a heavy lid;
old recipes call for a cover held in place with a thick band of flour and water
paste.

STORAGE

Pates, terrines, and galantines may be frozen, but they will never again
have their original texture. Once you have compared the two, you will always
recognize the somewhat damp quality of thawed pate. If a pate is to be kept
for 10 days or more under refrigeration, it should be unmolded after it has
been chilled and the meat jelly wiped off its surface. It then may be wrapped
airtight in waxed paper and foil, or returned to its terrine and covered with
melted pork fat.

ASPIC

(Recipes for aspics are on pages 112 to 115; instructions for lining and
decorating molds start on page 558.)

To serve a pate in aspic unmold the pate after it has been chilled, and
scrape off the layer of pork fat surrounding it. Line the bottom of a slightly
larger mold with a ^-inch layer of jellied stock and chill until set. Place the
pate in the mold, and pour almost-set jellied stock around and over it. Chill.
Unmold on a chilled platter.

Another system is to slice the chilled pate, arrange it on a platter lined
with jellied stock, and then glaze the slices with jelly as for the boeuf mode cn
gelde on page 556.

FARCE POUR PATES, TERRINES,

ET GALANTINES

[Pork and Veal Stuffing]

This good general-purpose meat mixture we shall refer to as a stuffing,
for that is a translation of die French generic term farce. It can be used as the

5 66

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

basis for any type of pate, terrine, or galantine you wish. Mixed with chestnuts,
it can also serve as a filling for roast goose or turkey. The pork gives flavor, the
veal gives lightness. The proportions may be changed according to your own
ideas, and sauteed liver, ground poultry, or game may be beaten into it. Minced
truffles are always a good addition, and you can include such filings as pis-
tachios, or strips or cubes of pork fat, tongue, or ham to give a pattern to the
meat when it is sliced.

For about 4 cups

V2 cup very finely minced
onions
2 Tb butter
A large mixing bowl

Cook the onions slowly with the butter in a small
skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until they are tender and
translucent but not browned. Scrape them into the
mixing bowl.

Vi cup port, Madeira, or co- Pour the wine into the skillet and boil it down until
8 nac reduced by half. Scrape it into the mixing bowl.

% lb. (about 1/2 cups) each,
lean pork and lean veal
and V2 lb. (1 cup) fresh
pork fat, all finely ground
together

2 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 tsp salt
!4 tsp pepper
Big pinch of allspice
V2 tsp thyme

Optional: x clove mashed
garlic

A wooden spoon

Add all the ingredients to the left, and beat vigorously
with a wooden spoon until the mixture has lightened
in texture and is thoroughly blended. Saute a small
spoonful and taste. Then beat in whatever additions
you feel are necessary. It should be perfectly flavored.
If not to be used immediately, cover and refrigerate.

* TERRINE DE PORC, VEAU, ET JAMBON

[Pork and Veal Pate with Ham]

A pork and veal pate with decorative strips of veal and ham buried in its
slices is the most classic of all pate mixtures: the three elements blend them-
selves in a very savory maimer.

For about 7 cups

PATES AND TERRINES

567

Marinating the veal strips

54 lb. lean veal from the
round or filet cut into
strips 54 inch thick
Optional: 2 or 3 canned
truffles cut into 54-inch
dice, and juice from can
A bowl
3 Tb cognac

Big pinch of salt and pepper
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of allspice
1 Tb finely minced shallots
or green onions

Marinate the veal and optional truffles and their juice
in a bowl with the cognac and seasonings while pre-
paring the other ingredients. Before using, drain the
strips, and reserve the marinade.

Molding the pate

An 8 -cup rectangular or oval
terrine, baking dish, cas-
serole, or loaf pan
Sheets of fresh pork fat back
Vs inch thick, or blanched
fat salt pork, or blanched
fat bacon, page 15
4 cups of the preceding pork
and veal stuffing
Z2 lb. lean boiled ham cut
into strips 54 inch thick
1 bay leaf

A sheet of pork fat or strips
of blanched bacon to cover
the pate

Baling the pate

Aluminum foil
A heavy lid for the terrine
A pan of boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom and sides of the terrine with the pork
fat or bacon. Beat marinade into stuffing; divide
stuffing into three parts. Dip your hands in cold wa-
ter, and arrange the first third of the stuffing in the
bottom of the terrine. Cover with half the strips of
marinated veal alternating with half the strips of ham.
If using diced truffles, place a row down the center.
Cover with the second third of the stuffing, and a final
layer of veal and ham strips, and optional truffles.
Spread on the last of the meat stuffing. Lay the bay
leaf on top, and cover with a sheet of pork fat or bacon
strips.

Enclose the top of the terrine with aluminum foil,
cover, and set in the pan of boiling water. The water
should come about halfway up the outside of the ter-
rine; add boiling water during cooking, as necessary.
Set in lower third of preheated oven and bake for
about 1 Zi hours depending on the shape of the terrine;

568

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

a long loaf shape will cook faster than a round or oval
shape. The pate is done when it has shrunk slightly
from the sides of the terrine, and the surrounding fat
and juices are clear yellow with no traces of rosy color.

Cooling and chilling

Take the terrine from the water and set it on a plate. Remove lid, and on top of the
foil covering the pate put a piece of wood, a pan, or a casserole which will just fit into
the terrine. On or in it, place a 3- to 4-lb. weight or parts of a meat grinder; this will
pack the pate into the terrine so there will be no air spaces in the meat. Allow the pate
to cool at room temperature for several hours or overnight. Then chill it, still
weighted down.

Serving

Serve the pate from its terrine, slicing down through it with a knife. Or unmold it
and serve on a platter, or decorate in aspic as suggested on page 565.

VARIATIONS

Pate de Veau et Pore avec Gibier

[Game Pate]

For rabbit, hare, partridge, pheasant, duc\, and other game

1 lb. (about 2 cups) boneless,
skinless, raw game
Ingredients for the preced-
ing pork and veal pate,
minus the veal strips and
ham strips

Following the preceding recipe, cut the game meat
into strips / inch wide, and marinate them in cognac
and seasonings. Grind the smaller pieces and beat
them into the stuffing mixture; then proceed with the
recipe.

Pate de Veau et Pore avec Foie

[Pork and Veal Pate with Liver]

Ingredients for the pork and
veal pate in the preceding
master recipe, minus the
veal strips and ham strips

Follow the master recipe, but after cooking the onions
for the meat stuffing, cut the liver into 14 -inch pieces
and saute with the onions for 2 to 3 minutes until the
liver is slightly stiffened but still rosy inside. Scrape

PATES AND TERRINES

569

i lb. (about 2 cups) liver: into the mixing bowl, and proceed with the recipe,

chicken, calf, Iamb, pork, (The cognac and other ingredients listed in the recipe

or beef as a marinade may be beaten into your meat stuffing,

if you wish.)

A NOTE ON GALANTINES

The boned and stuffed duck in the following recipe would be a galantine
de canard rather than a canard en croute if it were stuffed then wrapped in a
damp towel, poached in meat stock, cooled with a weight over it, chilled, and
glazed with jellied stock. The same system may be used also for large roasting
chickens, capons, and turkeys.

pate en croOte

[Pdte Baked in a Crust]

Canard en Croute

The recipe we have chosen to illustrate pate en croute is boned duck
stuffed, reformed, surrounded with decorated pastry, and baked. The same
method may be used for any of the pdte mixtures previously described, and
they do not have to be enclosed in duck skin. You may simply heap the mix-
ture into a loaf on an oval of pastry and enclose it with a second oval. Or you
may line a spring mold with pastry, pack the mixture into it, and cover with

57 °

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

more pastry. All pates en croutc, in other words, follow the same general out-
line for forming and baking.

Flow TO BONE A DUCK, TURKEY, OR CHICKEN

You may think that boning a fowl is an impossible feat if you have never
seen it done or thought of attempting it. Although the procedure may take
45 minutes the first time because of fright, it can be accomplished in not much
more than 20 on your second or third try. The object is to remove the flesh
with the skin from the carcass bones without piercing the skin except at the
back where the bird is slit open, and at the natural openings at the vent and
neck. The skin is to serve as a container for the pate. Laid flat on a board, the
pate mixture is heaped onto it, then the skin is folded over the pate mixture
and sewed in place. When baked in a terrine and unmolded, or baked in a
crust, the sutures are on the bottom, and the pate appears to be enclosed in an
unbroken, browned casing — which is the skin. It is always an impressive sight.
The important thing to remember is that the cutting edge of your knife must
always face the bone, never the flesh, thus you cannot pierce the skin.

To begin with, cut a deep slit down the back of the bird from the neck
to the tail, to expose die backbone. With a small, sharp knife, its edge always
cutting against the bone, scrape and cut the flesh from the carcass bones down
one side of the bird, pulling the flesh away from the carcass with your fingers
as you cut. When you come to the ball joints connecting the wings and the
second joints to the carcass, sever them, and continue down the carcass until
you reach just the ridge of the breast where skin and bone meet. Then stop.
You must be careful here, as the skin is thin and easily slit. Repeat the same
operation on the other side of the bird. By the time you have completed half
of this, the carcass frame, dangling legs, wings, and skin will appear to be an
unrecognizable mass of confusion and you will wonder how in the world any
sense can be made of it all. But just continue cutting against the bone, and not
slitting any skin, and all will come out as it should. When you finally arrive
at the ridge of the breastbone on this opposite side, stop again. Then lift the
carcass frame and cut very closely against the ridge of the breastbone to free
the carcass, but not to slit the thin skin covering the breastbone. Chop off the
wings at the elbows, to leave just tire upper wing bones attached.

Then arrange this mass of skin and flesh on a board, flesh side up. You
will now see, protruding from the flesh, the pair of ball joints of the wings and
of the two second joints. Scrape the meat from the bones of the wings and pull
out die bones. Repeat for the second joints, severing them from the ball joints
of the drumsticks; the drumsdck bones may be left in place if you wish. Dis-

PATES AND TERRINES

571

card any bits of fat adhering to the flesh, and the bird is ready to become a
pate or a galantine.

PATE DE CANARD EN CROtJTE

[Boned Stuffed Duck Baked in a Pastry Crust]
For 12 people

Stuffing the duc\

A 5-lb. ready-to-cook roaster
duckling
14 tsp salt
Vi tsp pepper
Pinch of allspice
2 Tb cognac
2 Tb port

Optional: 2 or 3 diced
canned truffles and their
juice

Bone the duck as described in the preceding para-
graphs, and lay the boned bird skin-side down on a
board. Slice off the thickest layers of breast and thigh
meat, and cut into cubes about % inch across. Place
the cubes back on the duck, season, and sprinkle with
cognac and port. Add the optional truffles and their
juice. Roll up the duck, place it in a bowl, and re-
frigerate.

4 cups pork and veal stuff-
ing, page 565

Prepare the meat stuffing and mix into it the cubed
duck meat, optional truffles, and marinade.

A trussing needle Spread the boned duck on a board, skin-side down.

White string Heap the stuffing in the center and shape it into a

Boned duck
with stuffing

note: In this and following drawings, wings bones and drumsticks have not
been removed.

572

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

Duc\ skin folded
around stuffing

loaf. Bring the duck skin up over the loaf to enclose
it completely. Sew it in place with a trussing needle

Duck ready
for browning

PATES AND TERRINES

573

3 Tb cooking oil
A large skillet

Forming the crust

6 cups (i/ lbs.) all-purpose
flour

'A cup (2 ounces) vegetable
shortening

/ cup (4 ounces) butter
1/ tsp salt
l A tsp sugar
2 eggs

About % cup cold water

A greased baking sheet
A pastry brush

Duc\ in bottom
pastry oval

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp cold
water in a small bowl

and white string. Make 3 or 4 ties around the circum-
ference of the duck to give it a cylindrical shape.

Heat the oil in the skillet until it is almost smoking.
Then brown the duck slowly on all sides. Remove,
and allow it to cool. The trussing strings remain on
the duck to hold its shape while baking.

Following directions on page 139, prepare a chilled
pastry dough with the ingredients at the left.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll two thirds of the pastry dough into an oval %
inch thick. Lay it on the baking sheet. Place the duck

on the oval, breast up. Bring the pastry up around the
duck, patting it into place. Roll out the rest of the
dough y 8 inch thick and cut it into an oval to fit over
the top of the duck. Paint the edges of the bottom
pastry oval with a pastry brush dipped in beaten egg,

574

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

Pressing pastry
ovals together

and press the top oval in place. Flute or pinch the
edges together to seal them.

Make circles or ovals with a i^-inch cooky cutter in the remaining pastry, and press
fan-shaped lines into them with the back of a knife.

Paint the top pastry oval with beaten egg, and press the pastry cutouts over it in a
decorative design. Paint with beaten egg.

Make a %-inch hole in the center of the pastry and insert a brown paper or foil
funnel; this will allow cooking steam to escape. Insert a meat thermometer into the
hole through the funnel, and down through the duck skin into the pate.

PATES AND TERRINES

575

Baling the pate

Place the duck in the middle position of the preheated oven, and turn the heat down
to 350 degrees. Bake for about 2 hours, or to a thermometer reading of 180 degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for several hours; the crust will soften if the
pate is refrigerated too soon. Then chill.

TO SERVE

A little preliminary work in the kitchen will enable you to present your
duck with the elegance and drama it deserves. Before bringing it to the table,
then, cut around the crust just under the seam of the top pastry oval; lift the
oval off carefully so as not to break it. The duck will have shrunk from the
crust during its baking, so you can lift it out of the bottom crust. Remove the
circular trussing strings from around the duck, then cut and pull out die sew-
ing strings underneath the duck.

If carving is to take place at the table, put the duck back into the bottom
crust and replace the top pastry oval. The carver will then decide whether to
remove the duck from the crust and carve it as suggested farther on, or whether
to cut right down through the crust and through the duck, making crosswise
slices of duck with crust.

If the duck is to be carved before serving, follow either of the two meth-
ods in the next paragraph, then reconstruct the duck in its bottom crust, and
replace the top pastry oval.

To carve the duck after removing it from the crust, either make crosswise

576

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

slices as though you were cutting a sausage, or make a deep incision the length
of the breast, and cut lengthwise slices angled toward the center of the duck
on each side.

OTHER COLD DISHES

Here is a list of cold dishes which are described as hot elsewhere in the

book.

E gg s

Oeufs brouillSs piperade, scrambled eggs garnished with a piperade (the
cooked green peppers, onions, and tomatoes used for omelette piperade on
page 137). The piperade is mixed into the eggs after they have been scrambled;
the eggs are chilled, and used to fill tomato cases.

Fish

Thon a la provencale, tuna or swordfish baked with tomatoes, wine, and
herbs, page 219

Poultry

Poulet grille a la diable, broiled chicken with herbs, mustard, and bread
crumbs, page 265

Poulet saute and poulet saute aux herbes de Provence, either of these
two recipes for sauteed chicken beginning on page 254, without the sauce

Poulet poele a. Vestragon, casserole-roasted chicken with tarragon, page
249. This is one of the best ways to cook a whole chicken that is to be served
cold.

Canard a l’ orange, duck with orange, page 276, or with the other fruits
suggested in the recipes following it. The sauce is made according to the direc-
tions in the recipe but, instead of thickening the sauce with arrowroot, dissolve
gelatin in it (1 tablespoon or 1 envelope for each 2 cups), and glaze the duck
as in the recipe for poulet en gelee a I'estragon, page 549.

Beef

Daube de boeuf, casserole of beef with wine, herbs, and vegetables, page

322.

OTHER COLD DISHES

577

Lamb

Moussaka, lamb and eggplant baked in a mold lined with eggplant skins,
then unmolded, page 349. This makes a handsome cold dish, and is an excellent,
way to use up cold roast lamb.

Pork and Veal

Veau poele or roti de pore poele, casserole-roasted veal with herbs, page
353, or pork, page 380. Both of these are good cold, and if you wish to dress
them up, slice the meat and spread each slice with beurre Montpellier (green
herb mayonnaise with butter, anchovies, pickles, and capers, page 90), reform
the roast, and spread with a covering of the mayonnaise. Chill before serving.

Veau Sylvie or pore Sylvie, veal marinated in wine then stuffed with ham
and cheese before roasting, page 357, or pork treated in the same manner, page

385-

Ham

]ambon braise au Madcre, ham braised in Madeira wine, page 393. See
also the recipes following it, for ham braised with mushroom stuffing, and ham
in a pastry crust. All of these are good cold, and a pleasant change from plain
cold, baked or boiled ham.

Siveetbreads and Brains

Ris de veau braises or cervelles braises, braised sweetbreads, page 409,
or brains, page 415. Either may be dressed with vinaigrette and herbs and used
as a cold meat dish, or as part of a combination salad.

Artichokes

Artichauts au naturel or fonds d’artichauts a blanc, cold boiled arti-
chokes, page 424, or cooked artichoke hearts, page 430. Either of these may be
served with vinaigrette or mayonnaise. You may fill cold, cooked artichoke
hearts with vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish in mayonnaise; you could also
fill them with one of the aspics or mousses described in this chapter.

Eggplant

Aubergines farcies duxelles, eggplant cases stuffed with mushrooms,
page 501. These go well with cold, roast lamb.

Ratatouille, eggplant casserole with tomatoes, onions, and zucchini, page
503. This dish is just as good cold as it is hot, and is especially recommended

578

CHAPTER NINE: COLD BUFFET

with cold roast lamb, beef, pork, chicken, and fish. A bit of leftover ratatouille
may be passed through a food mill with hard-boiled egg yolks to make a filling
for stuffed eggs or stuffed tomatoes.

Celery and Leeks

C clevis braises and poireaux braises, braised celery, page 491, braised
leeks, page 495. Either of these may be part of a cold vegetable combination,
or be served with cold meats.

Potatoes

Gratin de pommes de terre prove tic ale, potato and tomato casserole with
anchovies, page 525. Serve this with cold meats or fish.

CHAPTER TEN

DESSERTS AND CAKES

Entremets et Gateaux

FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES
AND INFORMATION

o ne or several of the following processes will be a part of almost any
dessert or cake recipe you encounter. Some can be accomplished by machine,
others are better performed by hand. None is difficult, but all contribute to the
success of your dish and must be done precisely.

EGG WHITES

Innumerable desserts, as well as souffles and all the spongecakes, call for
stiffly beaten egg whites. Successful cooking of any of these dishes is usually
dependent on how voluminous and stiff you have beaten the egg whites, and
how carefully you have folded them into the rest of the ingredients. As they
are so important, we shall continually put in little reminders and warnings
about them. Directions and illustrations for egg whites begin on page 159, in
the Entree chapter. You will note that in all the recipes for beaten egg whites
in this chapter a tablespoon of sugar is whipped into them near the end of the
beating; this gives them an added bit of stiffness and body. You will also note
that egg whites may be folded into either a hot or a cold sauce or batter; unlike
whipped cream, which liquefies when it comes in contact with hot ingredients,
egg whites are not affected.

BEATING EGGS AND SUGAR TO FORM THE RIBBON
Whenever egg yolks and sugar are beaten together the recipe will say to
continue beating “until the mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon.” This

580

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

prepares the egg yolks so that they can be heated without turning granular.
To accomplish it, add the sugar gradually to the egg yolks in a mixing bowl
while beating with a wire whip or an electric beater; continue beating for 2
to 3 minutes. The mixture will turn a pale, creamy yellow, and thicken enough
so that when a bit is lifted in the beater, it will fall back into the bowl forming
a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the mixture. Do not beat beyond
this point or the egg yolks may become granular.

WHIPPED CREAM

As used in French cooking, whipped cream should double in volume,
and be light, smooth, and free from granules. Much the same principles apply
to it as to the beating of egg whites, in that you must incorporate as much air
as possible. The stationary electric beater never produces as smooth and light
a cream as could be wished; the electric blender is not recommended at all.
Chilled whipping cream beaten at a leisurely pace of 2 strokes per second with
a chilled wire whip in a chilled bowl will easily mount in 2 to 3 minutes. If
you cannot bear the thought of not using your electric beater, circulate it by
hand, starting at a slow speed and gradually increasing it to moderate, while
lifting as much air as possible into the cream.

Warning

If whipped cream is to be folded into other ingredients, be sure the other
ingredients are cold; otherwise the cream will lose its stiffness and thin out.

A note on french cream

Although French creme fratche and American whipping cream both
contain approximately the same amount of butter fat, the consistency of French
cream is thicker because it is slightly fermented. It must be thinned before
whipping by the addition of 1 part of cold milk, iced water, or shaved ice for
every 3 parts of cream.

Creme Chantilly
[Lightly Beaten Cream]

This is lightly beaten cream, which is usually specified for such desserts
as Bavarian cream, and for dessert sauces.

For about 2 cups

FUNDAMENTALS

5 8l

/ pint (1 cup) chilled whip-
ping cream
A chilled 3-quart bowl
A chilled wire whip or
chilled blades of electric
beater

Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and beat it
slowly until it begins to foam, while circulating the
beater all around the bowl and lifting the cream at
you whip it. Gradually increase the beating speed to
moderate and continue until the beater leaves light
traces on the surface of the cream. A bit of cream
lifted and dropped on the surface will softly retain its
shape.

Stiffly beaten cream

For desserts which require more body, continue beating a few seconds
more until the cream is a little bit stiffer and forms soft peaks. Do not beat be-
yond this stage or the cream will become granular, and then begin to turn into

butter.

Storing whipped cream

Once cream is whipped, it will keep for several hours under refrigeration.
As it usually exudes a bit of liquid, it is a good idea to turn it into a fine-meshed
sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. This allows any seeping liquid to drop
out of the cream.

Flavored whipped cream

Before serving, fold in 2 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar and a
tablespoon or two of brandy, rum, or sweet liqueur, or a teaspoon or two of

vanilla extract.

CREAMING BUTTER AND SUGAR

Numerous dessert and cake recipes direct that butter and sugar be
creamed together; this may be accomplished either by machine or by hand.

Electric Beater Use the pastry-blender attachment if you have one;
you may use the regular beater, but the blades will become clogged. Cut the
butter into ’/2-inch pieces. Warm the large mixing bowl in hot water. Dry it,
add the butter and sugar, and beat at a moderate speed for several minutes.
The mixture is ready to be used when it is light, fluffy, and a pale ivory color.

Hand Beating If the butter has been left at room temperature for an
hour to soften, simply beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl for several
minutes until they form a light, fluffy mass. For cold, hard butter, use the fol-
lowing system: Cut the butter into %- inch pieces and place it with the sugar
in a mixing bowl set over barely simmering water. Beat with a wooden spoon
for several seconds until the butter softens. Then set the bowl in a basin of

5 82

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

cold water and beat for a minute or two until the mixture is light, fluffy, and
a pale ivory color.

MELTED CHOCOLATE

Because baking chocolate burns easily, you should watch it carefully while
it melts. To melt chocolate, break it into small pieces or use chocolate drops
(2 ounces make / cup). Place the chocolate in a small saucepan with / 2 to
1 tablespoon strong coffee, rum, or water per ounce or square. Set the pan over
hot but not simmering water and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for
several minutes until the chocolate has melted to a perfectly smooth cream.
Keep the saucepan in warm water until you are ready to use the chocolate.

ALMONDS

Whole, slivered, and powdered almonds have many uses in French pas-
tries and desserts. Luckily you can buy blanched almonds in airtight cans at
almost any American market, and although you do not often see powdered
almonds, it is easy to do them in the electric blender. You will note that all
the recipes which use almonds also call for a bit of almond extract to bring out
the almond taste. This is not necessary in France, as one or two bitter almonds
are always included. But as the oil of bitter almonds is poisonous when taken
in too large a quantity, it can only be bought with a doctor’s prescription in
this country. But be careful with almond extract. It is strong; a few drops or a
quarter teaspoon are usually sufficient.

Measurements Four ounces of whole, broken, or powdered almonds
are equivalent to about % cup or 125 grams.

Blanched Almonds Drop shelled almonds into boiling water and boil
1 minute. Drain. Squeeze each almond between the thumb and forefinger,
and the almond will slip out of its skin. Spread the blanched almonds in a
roasting pan and dry them out for 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

Pulverized Almonds If you do not have an electric blender, pound the
almonds with a bit of granulated sugar in a mortar, or pass them through a
meat grinder with granulated sugar and a few drops of water. If you have a
blender, pulverize them / 2 cup at a time at top speed for about 30 seconds.

Toasted or Grilled Almonds Spread whole, slivered, or powdered
almonds in a roasting pan and set in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
Stir them up frequently and keep an eye on them so they do not burn. They
should emerge an even, light, toasty brown.

FUNDAMENTALS

583

Pralin

[Caramelized Almonds]

This delicious ingredient is quickly made and can be stored for weeks
in a screw-topped jar. It is used in desserts and sauces, as a sprinkling for ice
cream, and as a flavoring for cake icings and fillings. In France, pralin is also
made with hazel nuts or a mixture of hazel nuts and almonds.

For about 1 cup

Vi cup slivered or powdered Toast the almonds in a 350-degree oven as previously
almonds described.

Z2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tb water

An oiled marble slab or
large baking sheet

Boil the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the
sugar caramelizes (see directions for caramel farther
on). Immediately stir in the toasted almonds. Bring
just to the boil, then pour onto the marble or baking
sheet. When cold, in about 10 minutes, break the
hardened mass into pieces. Pulverize in the electric
blender, pound to a coarse powder in a mortar, or put
it through a meat grinder.

Pulverized Macaroons

Pulverized stale macaroons may be substituted for pralin. Break maca-
roons into small pieces, spread them in a roasting pan, and set in a 200-de-
gree oven for about an hour. Remove when they are fairly dry and lightly
browned; they will crisp up as they cool. When crisped, pulverize them in the
electric blender, pound in a mortar, or put them through a meat grinder. Store
in a screw-topped jar where they will keep for weeks.

Caramel

[Caramel]

Caramel is sugar syrup cooked until it turns a light, nut brown. It is used
as a flavoring or coloring, or for coating a mold.

For about Z2 cup

584

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Vi cup granulated sugar or
crushed sugar lumps
Vi cup water
A small, heavy saucepan

Place sugar and water in saucepan and swirl (shake
pan with circular motion) over moderately high heat
until the sugar has dissolved completely. Then let the
sugar boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until the
syrup turns a light, nut brown. This will take 3 to
4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat as soon as the
desired color is reached; if you let it darken too much,
it will have a bitter taste. Use immediately, as directed
in your recipe.

Caramel Syrup

Pour /i cup of water into the preceding caramel and simmer, stirring,
until the caramel has dissolved.

HOW TO LINE A MOLD WITH CARAMEL

Un Aloule Caramelise

[A Caramel-lined Mold]

Custard desserts are often baked in a mold lined with caramel so that
the dessert will be covered with a brown glaze when unmolded. You may make
the caramel directly in the mold when you are using a metal one such as the
charlotte illustrated for souffles on page 162. If you are using porcelain, make
the caramel separately. Metal takes a caramel lining more evenly than porce-
lain, and the dessert is usually easier to unmold. We therefore suggest you buy
metal molds if you plan to do many desserts of this type. After unmolding the
dessert, you will be directed by your recipe to add a little liquid to the mold
and simmer it to dissolve die remaining caramel; set the mold over an asbestos
mat, if you are using fireproof porcelain, or omit this step.

For a 6 -cup metal mold

Vi cup granulated sugar or
crushed sugar lumps
2 Tb water
A pan of cold water
A plate

Boil the sugar and water in the mold over moderate
heat, swirling the mold frequently, until the syrup
caramelizes. At once, dip the mold in the cold water
for 2 to 3 seconds to cool it very slightly. Then tilt the
mold in all directions to film the bottom and sides

FUNDAMENTALS

585

with caramel. When the caramel has ceased to run,
turn the mold upside down over a plate. This is now
a caramelized mold.

For a fireproof porcelain mold ( or cup-custard molds or ramekins)

Make the caramel in a saucepan. While it is cooking, warm the porcelain mold
in a pan of hot water; remove it as soon as the caramel is done. Pour in the caramel
and tilt the mold in all directions to film its bottom and sides. When the caramel has
ceased to run, reverse the mold on a plate.

Charlotte Malapoff

HOW TO LINE A MOLD WITH LADY FINGERS

Some of the grand desserts such as the charlotte Mala\of, page 605, the
diplomate, page 612, and the charlotte Chantilly, page 608, call for a mold lined
with ladyfingers. Any kind of a cylindrical mold or dish will do for the opera-
tion, but the dessert will be more spectacular if your mold is the charlotte type
3 1 /. t0 4 inches deep, like that illustrated in the Souffle section on page 162.
Some recipes direct that the ladyfingers be dipped first in diluted liqueur;
others do not. The procedure for lining the mold is the same in either case.

Warning

Do not attempt any dessert calling for a mold lined with ladyfingers
unless you have ladyfingers of premium quality— dry and tender, not spongy
and limp. Inferior ladyfingers, unfortunately the only kind usually available
in bakeries, will debase an otherwise remarkable dessert. The recipe for home-
made ladyfingers is on page 666.

586

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Lining the bottom
of the mold

Cut the ladyfingers into a design of wedges to fit the bottom of the mold ex-
actly. Lay them in the mold, their curved sides down.

Lining the sides
of the mold

Place a row of ladyfingers upright and pressed together, their curved sides
against the sides of the mold. If your mold slants outward, you may have to trim the
edges of the ladyfingers to make them slightly wedge-shaped.

The mold is now ready for filling, as directed in your recipe.

HOW TO UNMOLD A DESSERT

Many other desserts in this chapter, besides those with ladyfingers in the
preceding paragraphs, are formed or baked in a mold, and are unmolded for
serving. The easiest way to unmold them is: place a serving dish upside down

FUNDAMENTALS

587

over the mold and reverse the two quickly so the dish rests over a flat surface,
give a sharp, downward jerk to dislodge the dessert, then remove the mold.

Vanilla

We have specified vanilla extract in all of the dessert and cake recipes. If
you prefer to use the bean, steep it for 20 minutes in whatever hot liquid you
are using. Sugar with a mild vanilla flavor is made by burying a vanilla bean
for a week or so in a screw-topped jar with 1 pound of granulated sugar. For
a strong flavor, pulverize / ounce or 2 whole vanilla beans in a mortar with
/ pound or about % cup of sugar lumps, then pass through a very fine-meshed
sieve. If you use an electric blender for this, allow the pulverized mixture to
stand in a closed jar for a week or so before sieving it.

Glazed Orange or Lemon Peel

This provides a nice decoration and is easy to make.
For about V2 cup

5 lemons or 3 bright-skinned
oranges

A vegetable peeler
1 quart of simmering water

Remove the colored part of the lemon or orange skin
with a vegetable peeler. Cut into julienne strips i'/2
inches long and Vl 6 inch wide. Simmer in water for
10 to 12 minutes or until just tender when bitten.
Drain. Refresh in cold water. Dry on paper towels.

1 cup granulated sugar
Vi cup water

A candy thermometer, if
possible

1 tsp vanilla extract

Boil the sugar and water in a small saucepan to the
thread stage (230 degrees). Remove from heat. Stir in
the drained peel and the vanilla. Let the peel stand
in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. Drain when ready
to use. Under refrigeration, the peel will keep in the
syrup for several weeks.

Flour

Be sure to measure your flour correctly. This is especially important for
cakes. All recipes are based on the flour-measuring method described on page

17 -

588

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

SWEET SAUCES AND FILLINGS

Sauces Sucrees et Cremes

Creme anglaise, a light custard sauce, and creme patissiire, a thick custard
filling, are fundamental to French desserts and pastries. Both are quick to do,
and should definitely be in anyone’s repertoire.

CREME ANGLAISE

[Light Custard Sauce]

This sauce is a blend of egg yolks, sugar, and milk stirred over heat until
it thickens into a light cream. If it comes near the simmer, the yolks will
scramble. Although it can be omitted, a very small amount of starch in the
sauce acts as a safeguard just in case the heat becomes too much for the egg
yolks. Some recipes direct that the sauce be cooked in a double boiler; this is
slow work and quite unnecessary if you concentrate on what you are doing,
and use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. A candy thermometer is a useful guide.

Vanilla is the basic flavoring for crime anglaise; others are added to the
vanilla if you wish, such as coffee, liqueurs, or chocolate. The sauce is served
either warm or chilled, depending on your dessert. Less rich than cream, crime
anglaise is used on fruit desserts, molded creams, puddings, ice cream, or ac-
companies any dessert where it could be substituted for cream. With addi-
tional egg yolks and with heavy cream, it becomes the custard used for ice
creams. Also with more egg yolks, plus gelatin, whipped cream, and flavor-
ing, it is ready to be a Bavarian cream.

For about 2 cups

Zi cup granulated sugar
4 egg y° lks
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric
beater

Optional: i tsp cornstarch Beat in the optional starch,
or potato starch

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and con-
tinue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is
pale yellow and forms the ribbon, page 579.

SAUCES, FILLINGS, AND GLAZES

589

1/4 cup boiling milk While beating the yolk mixture, very gradually pour

on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets so
that the yolks are slowly warmed.

A clean, heavy-bottomed
enameled or stainless steel
saucepan

A wooden spatula or spoon
Optional but recommended:
a candy thermometer

Pour the mixture into the saucepan and set over mod-
erate heat, stirring slowly and continuously with a
wooden spatula or spoon, and reaching all over the
bottom and sides of the pan, until the sauce thickens
just enough to coat the spoon with a light, creamy
layer. Do not let the custard come anywhere near the
simmer. Maximum temperature is 165 degrees on the
candy thermometer (170 if you have used starch) .
Then beat the sauce off heat for a minute or two to
cool it. Strain it through a fine sieve, and beat in one
of the flavorings at the left.

Flavorings

1 Tb vanilla extract

OR, 1 tsp vanilla extract and
1 Tb rum, kirsch, cognac,
orange liqueur, or instant
coffee

OR, 2 or 3 ounces or squares
of semisweet baking choc-
olate melted in the boiling
milk, and 1 tsp vanilla ex-
tract stirred into the fin-
ished sauce

To serve hot: Keep the sauce over warm but not hot
water. If you wish, beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of un-
salted butter just before serving.

To serve cold: Set the saucepan in a pan of cold water,
and stir frequently until cool. Then cover and chill.

Creme Brulee

Although many people think of it as a French dessert, creme brulee is
actually Creole. Make the basic cream exactly like the preceding creme anglaise,
but use half the amount of sugar, and whipping cream instead of milk. Chill

590

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

in a serving dish. Rather than glazing the top of the cream with brown sugar,
try spreading a %- inch layer of pralin, page 583, over the cream. This would
then be a creme anglaise pralinee, and is good as a dessert either by itself or
served with strawberries.

CREME PAT1SSIERE

[Custard Filling]

This custard is also made of egg yolks, sugar, and milk, but unlike creme
anglaise, it contains flour so it may be brought to the boil, and is much thicker.
The proportions of flour vary according to the use of the filling; the following
recipe is designed as a base for fruit tarts. With the addition of beaten egg
whites it becomes a creme Saint-Honore and may be used as a filling for cream
puffs, or may be mixed with fruit to make a quick dessert like the plombieres
on page 594.

For about 2 l /2 cups

1 cup granulated sugar
5 e gg y°lks
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric
beater

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and con-
tinue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is
pale yellow and forms the ribbon, page 579.

% cup sifted all-purpose
flour

Beat in the flour.

2 cups boiling milk

Beating the yolk mixture, gradually pour on the boil-
ing milk in a thin stream of droplets.

A clean, heavy-bottomed
2 '/2-quart, enameled sauce-
pan

A wire whip

Pour into saucepan and set over moderately high heat.
Stir with wire whip, reaching all over bottom of pan.
As sauce comes to the boil it will get lumpy, but will
smooth out as you beat it. When boil is reached, beat
over moderately low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to cook
the flour. Be careful custard does not scorch in bottom
of pan.

1 Tb butter

Flavorings
1V2 Tb vanilla extract

Remove from heat and beat in the butter, dien one of
the flavorings at the left. If the custard is not used im-
mediately, clean it off the sides of the pan, and dot top

SAUCES, FILLINGS, AND GLAZES

591

OR, 2 tsp vanilla extract of custard with softened butter to prevent a skin from

and 2 to 3 Tb rum, kirsch, forming over the surface. Creme pdtissiere will keep

cognac, orange liqueur, or for a week under refrigeration, or may be frozen,
instant coffee

OR, 3 ounces or squares of
semisweet baking choco-
late melted with 2 Tb rum
or coffee and 2 tsp vanilla
extract

OR, J 4 cup pulverized al-
monds, page 582, or pul-
verized macaroons, page
583, Z4 tsp almond extract,
and 2 tsp vanilla extract

CREME SAINT-HONORE

[Custard Filling with Beaten Egg Whites]

A creme pdtissiere with the addition of stiffly beaten egg whites is used
as a filling for tarts and cream puffs, and as a dessert cream. It is flavored with
chocolate, liqueurs, grated orange peel, pralin, or whatever your recipe calls for.

For 5 to 6 cups

2Z2 cups creme pdtissiere Make the creme pdtissiere as directed in the preceding
8 egg whites recipe. Beat in the flavorings you have chosen. Beat

Big pinch of salt the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks are

2 Tb granulated sugar formed; sprinkle on the sugar and continue beating

until stiff peaks are formed, page 159. Stir one quar-
ter of the egg whites into the hot custard, fold in the
rest. If the cream is to be served cold, chill it in the
refrigerator.

FRANGIPANE

[Almond Custard Filling]

This is a very thick type of crime pdtissiere with crushed macaroons 01
powdered almonds. Use it as a filling for crepes or tarts. Any leftover frangi-
pane may be mixed with an equal amount of creme patissiire and used as a
filling.

For about 3 cups

592

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

A wire whip or electric
beater

* e gg
x egg yolk

A 3-quart mixing bowl
3 A cup granulated sugar
Vi cup sifted all-purpose
flour

i cup boiling milk

Beat the egg and egg yolk in the mixing bowl, gradu-
ally adding the sugar, until mixture is pale yellow and
forms the ribbon, page 579. Beat in the flour. Then
beat in the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets.

A clean, heavy-bottomed,
2 '/2-quart, enameled sauce-
pan

A wire whip
A wooden spoon

Pour into saucepan and set over moderate heat. Stir
slowly with the whip, reaching all over the bottom of
the pan. When mixture begins to coagulate into
lumps, beat it vigorously until it smooths and thickens
into a stiff paste. Then over moderately low heat, beat
it with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes to cook the
flour thoroughly. Be careful the custard does not
scorch on the bottom of the pan.

3 Tb butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
!4 tsp almond extract
Z2 cup pulverized maca-
roons, page 583, or pul-
verized almonds, page 582
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb kirsch

Off heat, beat in the butter, then the flavorings, maca-
roons or almonds, and optional kirsch. If not used
immediately, clean custard off sides of pan and dot top
with softened butter to prevent a skin from forming
on the surface. Frangipane will keep for a week under
refrigeration, or may be frozen.

FRUIT SAUCES

Fruit sauces are made from purees of fresh or frozen fruits, or from fruit
jams and jellies. They are used with ice creams, custard desserts, and various
puddings.

Sauce aux Praises

[Fresh Strawberry Sauce]

Sauce aux Frambroises

[Fresh Raspberry Sauce]

For about 2 cups

1 quart fresh strawberries or Hull, wash, drain, and sieve the fruit. Add sugar to

raspberries taste. Either whip for 2 to 3 minutes in a blender, or

SAUCES, FILLINGS, AND GLAZES

593

A sieve and wooden spoon
} A to cups sugar (instant
or very finely granulated
if possible)

An electric blender or an
electric beater

2 to 3 Tb kirsch, cognac, or
lemon juice

Made with frozen berries

Thaw the berries and drain them thoroughly. Force them through a sieve, and
beat in some of their syrup to thin out the puree. Flavor with kirsch, cognac, or
lemon juice.

Made with jam, preserves, or jelly ( about i cup)

V2 cup orange marmalade Stir the mixture in a saucepan over moderate heat un-
and Z2 cup apricot pre- til melted. Simmer for a moment with the liqueur,
serves then force through a sieve.

OR, Z2 cup strawberry or
raspberry jam and Zi cup
red currant jelly
2 to 3 Tb kirsch or cognac
A sieve and wooden spoon

beat for 10 minutes with an electric beater. The sugar
should dissolve completely; the puree will be quite
thick. Beat in kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice to taste.

STRAINED APRICOT PRESERVES

Before using apricot preserves (or jam) in a recipe, stir it over heat, if
necessary, until it has melted, then rub it through a sieve to leave the bits of
skin behind. If not used immediately, it will keep almost indefinitely in its
original container.

GLAZES

Either apricot preserves or red currant jelly contains enough pectin so
that when boiled to between 225 and 228 degrees it will stiffen slightly as it
cools and not be sticky to the touch. You may then use it as a glaze, paint it
over the top of a tart to give brilliance and glitter, spread it over a cake to act
as a simple icing, or paint it inside a baked pastry shell to provide a light water-
proofing before the filling goes in.

Abricot

[For Apricot Glaze]

594

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Gelee de Groseilles

[For Red Currant Glaze]

For about Vi cup red currant or apricot glaze

Vi cup apricot preserves, Stir the strained apricot preserves or currant jelly
forced through a sieve with the sugar over moderately high heat for 2 to 3
OR, Vi cup red currant minutes until thick enough to coat the spoon with a
jelly light film, and the last drops are sticky as they fall

2 Tb granulated sugar from the spoon (225 to 228 degrees on a candy ther-

A small saucepan mometer) . Do not boil beyond this point or the glaze

A wooden spatula or spoon will become brittle when it cools.

Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Apply the glaze while it is still warm. Unused glaze
will keep indefinitely in a screw-topped jar; reheat
again before using.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

Cremes et Mousses

* CREME PLOMBIERES PRALINEE

[Caramel Almond Cream — a cold dessert]

A creme plombieres is a custard filling into which beaten egg whites and
a flavoring or fresh fruits are folded. It is spooned over ladyfingers or sponge-
cake, then chilled. For the few minutes it takes to assemble, creme plombibes
makes a surprisingly attractive dessert.

For 6 servings

6 squares of stale sponge- If the squares of cake or ladyfingers are not stale, dry
cake or ladyfingers, about them out for about an hour in a 200-degree oven. Ar-
1V2 inches across and Vz range the pieces in the serving bowl, or place one in
inch thick each dessert cup. Sprinkle with the rum and coffee.

A 2-quart serving bowl
about 4 inches deep or 6
dessert cups

2 Tb rum mixed with 2 Tb
coffee

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

595

4 egg yolks

Vi cup granulated sugar

3 Tb flour

2/2 cups boiling milk

1 Tb vanilla extract, or 2 tsp
vanilla and 3 Tb rum

1 Tb butter

4 e gg whites

Pinch of salt

x Tb granulated sugar

3 Tb pralin (caramelized
almonds), page 583, or
the pulverized macaroons,
on page 582

2 Tb pralin or pulverized
macaroons

Following the procedure for creme pdtissiere, page
590, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl
until they are pale yellow and form the ribbon. Beat
in the flour. Then beat in the boiling milk by drop-
lets. Pour into a clean saucepan and, stirring with a
wire whip, boil slowly for 2 minutes. Remove from
heat and beat in the vanilla or rum, then the butter.

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are
formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff
peaks are formed, page 159. Fold the egg whites and
the pralin or macaroons into the hot creme pdtissiere.

Spoon the cream into the serving bowl or dessert cups
and chill for 2 to 3 hours, or until serving time. Just
before serving, sprinkle with the rest of the pralin or
macaroons.

VARIATIONS

Creme Plombieres an Chocolat

[Chocolate Cream]

Use the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute choco-
late for all or part of the pralin as follows:

3 ounces or squares of semi- Beat the smooth melted chocolate into 2/ cups of hot
sweet baking chocolate creme pdtissiere. Then fold in the beaten egg whites,
melted with 3 Tb rum or
strong coffee, and 2 tsp
vanilla extract

1 ounce grated or shaved Just before serving, sprinkle chocolate over the cream,
semisweet baking choco-
late

Creme Plombieres aux Fruits

[Plombieres with Fresh Strawberries or Raspberries]

Use the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute fresh
strawberries or raspberries for the pralin. Instead of soaking the cake in rum,

596

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

use kirsch or cognac diluted with water; and use kirsch or cognac plus vanilla
for flavoring the cream.

You may substitute defrosted frozen fruits for fresh fruits here, but they
look rather limp, especially when used for a decoration on top.

1 cup sliced fresh strawber-
ries or whole raspberries

2 Tb instant sugar (very
finely granulated)

Sprinkle fruit with sugar and let stand for io minutes,
or until ready to use. Fold into the cream with the
egg whites.

12 to 18 whole strawberries Sprinkle the berries with sugar, let stand for io min-
or x cup raspberries utes. Arrange over dessert just before serving.

2 Tb instant sugar

Creme Plombieres a l’ Ananas

\Plombieres with Pineapple]

Follow the ingredients and mediod in the master recipe, but substitute
pineapple for the pralin. And instead of soaking the cake in rum, use kirsch
or cognac diluted with water; use kirsch or cognac, plus vanilla for flavoring
the cream.

i cup (i No. 8Z can)
crushed pineapple in
heavy syrup

serving.

Drain the pineapple. Boil / cup of the syrup in a
small saucepan for 5 minutes. Add the crushed pine-
apple and boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Stir 2 tablespoons
of the syrup into the creme pdtissiere. Fold in the egg
whites and all but % cup of the pineapple. Reserve
remaining pineapple to decorate dessert just before

* BAVAROIS A L’ORANGE

[Orange Bavarian Cream — a cold desert]

Bavarian cream is a mold of creme anglaise (custard sauce) with gelatin,
beaten egg whites, lightly beaten cream, and a flavoring. It is unmolded after
it has been chilled, and makes a dessert as beautiful to see as it is to eat. When
properly made, it has a most lovely, light, creamy, velvety quality and ranks
as one of the best of the molded desserts.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

597

We were curious to try out some recipes for Bavarian cream which
claimed to produce masterpieces in seconds, so we experimented with the
electric blender, raw egg yolks, cracked ice, and so forth. We also ran various
changes of our own, such as substituting frozen fruits or ice cream for cracked
ice. Though the molded results looked handsome, their flavor and consistency
were disappointing. We have concluded that this particular masterpiece can-
not be achieved in seconds; a cooked custard, well-dissolved gelatin, stiffly
beaten egg whites, properly whipped cream, perfect flavoring, and then the
right blending of one element into another at the right time seem to be the
requisites for a true Bavarian cream. The classical method below is certainly
far from difficult, and the whole dessert may be prepared the day, or even two
days, before serving.

Orange Bavarian cream is our favorite. Other flavorings are suggested at
the end of the recipe.

For 8 to 10 people

The orange flavoring

2 large, fine, bright-skinned
oranges

2 large sugar lumps
A 4-quart mixing bowl

A measuring cup

A strainer

1/2 Tb (1/2 packages) gela-
tin

The custard sauce
7 e gg y° lks

A wire whip or electric
beater

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1Z2 cups boiling milk

A 2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

A wooden spoon

Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Wash and dry the oranges. One at a time, rub the
sugar lumps over them until all sides of each lump are
impregnated with orange oil. Mash the sugar lumps
in the mixing bowl. Grate the orange part of the skins
into the bowl.

Squeeze the juice of the oranges into the cup, to
make f 2 to % cup of strained juice. Sprinkle the
gelatin over the orange juice and set aside to soften.

Following the procedure for creme anglaise, page 588,
add the egg yolks to the orange sugar in the mixing
bowl. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and con-
tinue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is pale
yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the cornstarch.

Beat the milk in a thin stream of droplets into the egg
yolk mixture. Pour into saucepan and set over mod-
erate heat. Stir with wooden spoon until mixture
thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly (170 de-
grees). Do not overheat or egg yolks will scramble.
Remove from heat and immediately add the orange

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

598

juice and gelatin mixture, beating for a moment or
two until gelatin has dissolved completely. Rinse out
the mixing bowl and pour in the custard.

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are
formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff
peaks are formed, page 159. Using the rubber spatula,
fold the egg whites into the hot custard. Set in re-
frigerator. Fold delicately with spatula several times
while mixture is cooling, to keep it from separating.
When cold and almost but not quite set, proceed with
recipe.

T he whipped cream and final flavoring

Zz cup chilled whipping Beat the cream lightly, until doubled in volume and
cream beater leaves faint traces on the surface, page 580. Fold

A chilled mixing bowl the whipped cream and orange liqueur into the cus-

A chilled beater tard.

2 Tb orange liqueur
An 8-cup cylindrical mold
or ring mold, preferably
of metal as unmolding is
easier

Lightly oiled waxed paper Rinse mold in cold water and shake out excess. Turn

the Bavarian cream into the mold. Cover with the
waxed paper. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Unmolding and serving

A long, thin knife Remove waxed paper. Dip mold in very hot water

A chilled serving platter for 1 second (a second or two longer for a porcelain

mold) run knife around the edge of the cream, and
reverse on a chilled serving platter. (May be un-
molded and refrigerated several hours before serving.)

Peeled orange segments Serve surrounded with the orange segments,
sprinkled with orange
liqueur and sugar

The egg whites

5 e gg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
A rubber spatula

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

599

VARIATIONS

Bavarois an Chocolat

[Chocolate Bavarian Cream]

Use the same method and ingredients as for the master recipe for Bavarian

cream, but omit the orange flavoring and make the following changes.

5 egg yolks instead of 7 Fewer egg yolks are needed for the custard when

chocolate is used.

Vz cup strong coffee Soften the gelatin in coffee and vanilla rather than in

2 tsp vanilla extract orange juice.

3 ounces or squares semi- Grate the chocolate into the 1 / 2 cups of milk destined
sweet baking chocolate for the custard sauce. Heat slowly to the simmer,

beating with a wire whip to blend the chocolate
smoothly. Proceed with the custard sauce, beating in
the coffee and gelatin at the end. Fold in the beaten
egg whites and refrigerate, folding occasionally, until
cool but not set.

2 Tb dark rum or orange Rum is a more usual flavoring with chocolate, but
liqueur orange liqueur may be used if you wish. Fold it in

with the whipped cream, and fill the mold.

2 to 3 cups creme anglais e
(custard sauce), page 588,
or creme Chantilly
(lightly whipped cream),
page 580

Bavarois Praline

[Almond Bavarian Cream]

Use the same ingredients and method as for the master recipe for Bavarian

cream, page 596, but omit the orange flavoring and substitute the following.

Vz cup cold strong coffee Soften the gelatin in coffee rather than in orange

juice.

Serve chocolate Bavarian cream with crime anglaise
or with creme Chantilly.

6oo

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Z2 cup pralin (caramelized Fold the pralin or macaroons into the custard with
almonds), page 583, or the beaten egg whites. Chill, folding occasionally, until
pulverized macaroons, cool but not set.
page 583

1 Tb vanilla extract and Z4
tsp almond extract OR 1
tsp vanilla extract, 'A tsp
almond extract, and 2 Tb
dark rum

2 Tb pralin or pulverized Sprinkle the top of the Bavarian cream with pralin

macaroons or macaroons just before serving. No sauce is neces-

2 to 3 cups creme anglaise sary, but you may serve with it creme anglaise or
(custard sauce), page 588, creme Chantilly.
or creme Chantilly
(lightly whipped cream),
page 580

Bavarois aux Fruits

[Strawberry or Raspberry Bavarian Cream — and other fruits]

This recipe calls for raspberries or strawberries. Other fruit purees may

be substituted, such as apricot, peach, or caramelized pears. Use the method

and ingredients in the master recipe for Bavarian cream, page 596, but omit

the orange flavoring and make die following changes.

5 egg yolks instead of 7 The fruit puree gives body to the custard, so fewer

egg yolks are needed.

Z2 cup strawberry or rasp- If you are using frozen berries, dissolve the gelatin in
berry juice, or orange juice Zz CU P of the juice. Otherwise use orange juice.

1 pint fresh strawberries or Force the fruit through a sieve and measure out % to

raspberries OR, 1 lb. 1 cup of puree. (Any leftover puree may go into your

frozen berries, thawed and sauce.) Fold measured puree into the custard along
well drained with the whipped cream.

2 to 3 cups strawberry or Serve this Bavarian cream with strawberry or rasp-

raspberry sauce berry sauce, or surround the dessert with fresh berries.

OR, 1 pint fresh Straw-

Fold the flavoring into the custard with the whipped
cream.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

6 OI

berries or raspberries,
hulled and sprinkled with
sugar

Cold Souffles

Many of the recipes you will see for cold souffles are not cold souffles at
all, but Bavarian creams. They look like souffles because they appear to have
risen several inches up beyond the rim of the mold. This effect is achieved by
surrounding the mold with a paper collar which holds the cream in place until
set; the paper is removed just before serving time. You may mold any of the
preceding Bavarian creams this way, as well as the chocolate mousse on page-

604, or the almond-cream filling for the charlottes Mala!{of) starting on page

605. Two recipes for actual cold souffles are the rum and macaroon souffle
on page 620, and the caramel and almond souffle on page 622.

R1Z A L’IMPERATRICE

[Bavarian Cream with Rice and Fruits — a cold dessert]

Riz a I'lmperatrice is one of the grand old standbys of the classic French
cuisine, and has no relation, fortunately, to the dreadful rice puddings of one’s
youth. It is velvet to the tongue, and is always accompanied by a decorative
fruit sauce.

For 8 to 10 people

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

% cup (4 ounces) finely Mix the fruits in a small bowl with the kirsch or
diced glaceed fruits of cognac. Sprinkle on the gelatin and set aside until
various colors, such as needed,
cherries, angelica, orange
peel

4 Tb kirsch or cognac
iVi Tb (1/3 packages) gela-
tin

14 cup (4 ounces) white rice Sprinkle the rice into the boiling water and boil 5
4 quarts boiling water minutes. Drain thoroughly.

602

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

l 2 /} cups boiling milk
Vi cup granulated sugar

2 Tb butter

A i-quart covered, fireproof
casserole

i tsp vanilla extract
A round of buttered waxed
paper

5 e gg yolks

A 3- to 4-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or an electric
beater

l A cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cups boiling milk
A heavy-bottomed enameled
saucepan
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tb apricot preserves forced
through a sieve

Bring milk, sugar, and butter to boil in the casserole.
Stir in the rice and vanilla. Bring to simmer on top
of the stove. Lay paper over the rice, cover casserole,
and set in preheated oven to cook very slowly for 35
to 40 minutes, until the milk has been absorbed and
the rice is very tender.

Meanwhile, following the procedure for creme an-
glaise, page 588, place egg yolks in mixing bowl.
Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating un-
til mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat
in the cornstarch, then the boiling milk by droplets.
Pour into saucepan and stir over moderate heat until
custard coats the spoon lightly (170 degrees). Do not
bring near the simmer or egg yolks will curdle. Re-
move from heat and immediately stir in the glaceed
fruits and gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin has
thoroughly dissolved. Add the vanilla and apricot pre-
serves. Stir the rice into the custard, a spoonful at a
time if rice is hot. Chill, stirring occasionally, until
cold but not set.

Flavorless cooking oil

A 6-cup cylindrical mold
about 3V2 inches deep, or a
ring mold

A round of oiled waxed
paper

1 cup chilled whipping
cream

A chilled bowl

A chilled beater

A round of oiled waxed
paper

2 cups strawberry or rasp-
berry sauce, page 592

A chilled serving platter

Optional: Vi cup glaceed

Lightly oil the inside of the mold and line the bottom
with oiled waxed paper.

When the rice custard has cooled, beat the cream un-
til doubled in volume and beater leaves light traces
on the surface, page 580. Fold the cream delicately
into the rice custard, and turn the mixture into the
mold. Cover with oiled waxed paper. Refrigerate for
4 hours or overnight.

Remove waxed paper. Dip mold in very hot water for
1 second (a few seconds more if mold is not of metal).
Run a knife around the custard, and unmold on
chilled serving platter. Surround with the sauce.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS 60 3

fruits, diced or cut into (NOTE: After dessert has been unmolded, you may
fancy shapes, and steeped decorate it with glaceed fruits.)
in 1 Tb kirsch or cognac

MOUSSE A L’ORANGE

[Orange Mousse — a cold dessert]

A becoming way to serve this delicate mousse is in the scooped-out halves
of oranges.

For 6 people

3 Tb orange liqueur
A i-quart measuring cup
3 or 4 bright-skinned
oranges
Vz lemon
Orange juice

6 egg yolks

Zz cup granulated sugar
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric
beater

2 tsp cornstarch
A 2 ‘/2-quart, heavy-bot-
tomed enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

6 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
A rubber spatula

Zz cup chilled whipping
cream

6 orange-shell cups, or des-
sert cups, or a serving
bowl

Pour the liqueur into the measuring cup. Grate the
colored part of the skins of 3 oranges and the Zi lemon
into the cup. Strain in enough orange juice so liquid
measures 2 cups.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until
mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon, page
579. Beat in the cornstarch and the orange juice mix-
ture. Pour into the saucepan and stir over moderate
heat with wooden spoon until mixture heats through
and thickens, but does not come to the simmer, or a
temperature of more than 170 degrees. It should coat
the spoon lightly. Remove from heat and beat a mo-
ment to stop the cooking.

Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until
soft peaks are formed; sprinkle in the sugar and beat
until stiff peaks are formed, page 159. Fold the egg
whites into the hot orange mixture and refrigerate
until thoroughly chilled, folding occasionally so the
custard will not separate.

Beat the cream until stiff, page 581, and fold into the
chilled mousse. Turn into orange-shell cups, dessert
cups, or bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Decorations:

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

604

Glazed orange peel, page Decorate the desert just before serving.
587, angelica cut into leaf
shapes, mint leaves, or
whipped cream

MOUSSELINE AU CHOCOLAT
MAYONNAISE AU CHOCOLAT
FONDANT AU CHOCOLAT

[Chocolate Mousse— a cold dessert]

Among all the recipes for chocolate mousse this is one of the best, we
think; it uses egg yolks, sugar, and butter, and instead of cream, beaten egg
whites. The orange flavoring suggested here is delicious with chocolate. An
interchangeable version is charlotte Mala{ofl on page 607, made of butter,
chocolate, and powdered almonds. Either may be unmolded after chilling, or
served in a bowl, or in dessert cups, or in little covered pots. (Note: When
served in pots, this dessert is sometimes erroneously called pots de creme au
chocolat. French dessert cremes are custards, such as those on pages 610-61 1.)

For about 5 cups serving 6 to 8 people

A 3-quart porcelain or stain-
less steel mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric
beater
4 egg yolks

34 cup instant sugar (very
finely granulated)

14 cup orange liqueur
A pan of not-quite-simmer-
ing water

A basin of cold water

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is
thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself forming
a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange liqueur.
Then set mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering
water and continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes until
the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger.
Then beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the
mixture is cool and again forms the ribbon. It will
have the consistency of mayonnaise.

6 ounces or squares semi-
sweet baking chocolate
4 Tb strong coffee
A small saucepan
6 ounces or i !4 sticks soft-
ened unsalted butter

Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove
from heat and beat in the butter a bit at a time, to
make a smooth cream. Beat the chocolate into the
egg yolks and sugar, then beat in the optional orange
peel.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

605

Optional: % cup finely

diced, glazed orange peel,
page 587

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are
formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff
peaks are formed, page 159. Stir one fourth of the
egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the
rest.

Turn into serving dish, dessert cups, or petits pots. Re-
frigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2 cups vanilla-flavored Pass the sauce or whipped cream separately.
creme anglaise (custard
sauce), page 588, or lightly
whipped cream sweetened
with powdered sugar,
page 580

4 e gg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Molded Mousse

Turn the preceding mousse into a lightly oiled, 6-cup ring mold. Cover
widi oiled, waxed paper. Chill for 3 to 4 hours until well set. Remove paper,
dip mold for 1 second in very hot water, and unmold on a chilled serving dish.
Fill center of mousse with creme anglaise or lightly whipped cream.

Or use the following charlotte Malal^off system, lining a cylindrical mold
with ladyfingers dipped in orange liqueur.

* CHARLOTTE MALAKOFF AUX PRAISES

[Almond Cream with Fresh Strawberries — a cold dessert]

This delectable almond cream is relatively quick to assemble if you have
ladyfingers on hand — but they must be of excellent quality, not the soggy,
baking-powder variety. If you cannot buy them, or have not the time to make
them, omit the ladyfingers altogether and turn the almond cream into a ring
mold as described in the preceding paragraph, or into a serving dish, or into
individual dessert cups. Although the dessert cannot then be called a charlotte

6o6

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Mala/^off, it will still be delicious, and can be nicely decorated with fresh straw-
berries.

For 8 to 10 people

Preparing strawberries and lining mold

i quart fresh strawberries Hull the strawberries. Wash them quickly if neces-

A cake rack sary, and set on cake rack to drain thoroughly.

A 2-quart cylindrical mold,
about 4 inches high and 7
inches in diameter
A round of waxed paper

Vi cup orange liqueur
Vi cup water
A soup plate

24 single ladyfingers, 4
inches long and about 2
inches wide, page 666
A cake rack

The almond cream

A 4-quart mixing bowl
An electric beater or wire
whip

Vi lb. softened unsalted but-
ter

1 cup sugar (preferably the
very finely granulated
“instant” type)

Vi cup orange liqueur
Va tsp almond extract
i l /i cups pulverized al-
monds, page 582

2 cups chilled whipping
cream

A chilled bowl
A chilled beater

Molding and serving

A round of buttered waxed
paper

Line the bottom of the unbuttered mold with the
round of unbuttered waxed paper.

Pour orange liqueur and water into soup plate. Dip
in the ladyfingers, one by one, and drain on rack.
Line sides of mold with ladyfingers as described on
page 585. Reserve the remaining dipped ladyfingers.

Cream butter and sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes,
until pale and fluffy, page 581. Beat in orange liqueur
and almond extract. Continue beating for several min-
utes until sugar is completely dissolved. Beat in the
almonds.

Whip the cream until the beater, drawn across the
top of the cream, leaves light traces, page 580. Fold
the cream into the almond and butter mixture.

Turn a third of the almond cream into the lined mold.
Arrange over it a layer of strawberries, heads down.

i

4

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

607

A saucer which will just fit
into the mold
A i-lb. weight, or pieces of a
meat grinder

Cover them with a layer of ladyfingers. Repeat with
another layer each of almond cream, strawberries, and
ladyfingers. Fill the mold with the rest of the almond
cream and a layer of ladyfingers if there are any left.
Trim off ladyfingers around edge of mold, and press
the trimmed-off bits into the top of the cream. Cover
mold with the waxed paper, set saucer over the paper,
and place the weight on it. Refrigerate for 6 hours or
overnight. The butter must be chilled firm, so the des-
sert will not collapse when unmolded.

A chilled serving platter
The remaining strawberries,
more if needed
2 cups creme Chantilly
(lightly whipped cream),
page 580, or strawberry
sauce, page 592

Remove waxed paper. Run a knife around the inside
of the mold, and reverse dessert on a chilled serving
platter. Peel waxed paper from top, and refrigerate
dessert until serving time. Decorate with strawberries
and accompany with whipped cream or strawberry
sauce.

VARIATIONS

Use the same method and proportions as in the preceding master recipe
for charlotte Mala!{off, but make the following changes for these variations:

Charlotte Malakoff aux Framboises

[Almond Cream with Raspberries]

Substitute fresh raspberries for strawberries in the preceding recipe.

Charlotte Malakoff au Chocolat

[Almond Cream with Chocolate]

Ingredients for die master
recipe but without the
strawberries

4 ounces or squares of semi-
sweet chocolate melted in
!4 cup strong coffee
’/4 rather than Vi cup orange

Following the master recipe, line the mold with lady-
fingers dipped in diluted orange liqueur. Make the
almond cream as directed, but fold the melted choco-
late into it, and only / cup of orange liqueur. Cool
before folding in the whipped cream, and complete
the recipe. Serve with whipped cream or custard
sauce.

-

6 o8

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

liqueur for the almond
cream

2 cups creme Chantilly
(lightly whipped cream),
page 580, or creme an-
glaise (custard sauce),
page 588

Charlotte Basque

[Almond Custard with Chocolate]

This is lighter than the charlotte Mala^off because the base is a custard
and no whipped cream is folded into it.

For 8 to 10 people

4 cups creme anglaise (cus- Prepare a chocolate-flavored custard sauce and beat
tard sauce), page 588, over cold water, or refrigerate, until almost cold,
flavored with chocolate

Vi lb. unsalted butter
1V3 cups pulverized al-
monds, page 582
V2 tsp almond extract
2 to 3 Tb rum, kirsch, co-
gnac, or orange liqueur
A 2-quart mold lined with
ladyfingers, and extra
ladyfingers as described in
master recipe

2 cups creme Chantilly
(lightly whipped cream),
page 580

Cream the butter and almonds together in a mixing
bowl. Gradually beat in the cool custard sauce. Beat
in the almond extract, and rum or liqueur to taste.
Turn into lined mold, alternating with layers of lady-
fingers, and chill until set. Serve with lightly whipped
cream.

CHARLOTTE CHANTILLY, AUX PRAISES
CHARLOTTE CHANTILLY, AUX FRAMBOISES

[Strawberry or Raspberry Cream — a cold dessert]

Here is another handsome molded dessert; this one is also relatively
quick to execute. But unless the egg yolks are well thickened, and then chilled
before the cream is folded in, the dessert will collapse rather quickly. If you

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

609

do not wish to serve it unmolded, turn the cream into a serving bowl or into
dessert cups. You may use frozen fruit instead of fresh, but be sure the fruit is
well thawed and most thoroughly drained, otherwise the puree will be too
liquid.

For 8 to 10 people

A round of waxed paper
A 2-quart cylindrical mold
about 4 inches high and 7
inches in diameter, lined
with ladyfingers, page 585

Place the round of waxed paper in the bottom of the
unbuttered mold. Then line the sides of the mold
(not the bottom) with upright ladyfingers as de-
scribed in the directions.

1V2 pints fresh strawberries Hull, wash, and drain the berries. Force them through

or raspberries a sieve and into a bowl. Measure out 1% cups of pu-

ree. Chill.

A wire whip or electric
beater

A 3-quart stainless steel mix-
ing bowl

% cup instant sugar (very
finely granulated)

8 egg yolks

A pan of not-quite-simmer-
ing water

A basin of cold water

Beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beat-
ing until mixture is pale yellow and falls back on
itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Then place
the mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering water
and beat until mixture has thickened into a cream
and becomes uncomfortably hot for your finger. Set
bowl in cold water and beat until mixture is cold and
falls back upon itself forming a slowly-dissolving rib-
bon on the surface. Chill.

2'/2 cups chilled whipping
cream

A chilled bowl
A chilled beater

When the egg yolk mixture has chilled, beat the
cream until doubled in volume and forms soft peaks,
page 580.

Extra ladyfingers, if needed Fold the chilled strawberry or raspberry puree into
A round of waxed paper the chilled egg yolk mixture, then fold in the whipped

cream. Turn into the mold. Place ladyfingers over the
cream to fill the mold almost completely. Trim off
any protruding ladyfingers around the edges of the
mold. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for at
least 6 hours or overnight.

A chilled serving dish
1 to 3 cups fresh strawber-
ries or raspberries

Just before serving, remove waxed paper, run a knife
around the edge of the mold, and reverse dessert onto
a chilled serving dish. Remove waxed paper. Deco-
rate the top of the dessert with fresh berries and, if
you wish, place more berries around the dessert.

6io

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

* CREME RENVERSEE A U CARAMEL

[Caramel Custard, Unmolded — warm or cold]

French custards are usually unmolded, and therefore call for more eggs
and egg yolks than custards served directly from their baking dishes.

For a 1-quart mold serving 4 to 6 people

T he custard mixture

A i-quart, fireproof, cylin-
drical mold lined with
caramel, page 584
2V2 cups milk
Optional: 1 vanilla bean

V2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip

1 tsp vanilla extract, if you
have not used a vanilla
bean

A fine-meshed sieve

Baking the custard

Set mold in a pan and pour enough boiling water around mold to come half-
way up its sides. Place in bottom third of preheated oven and turn heat down to 325
degrees. Regulate oven so water in pan never quite comes to the simmer during
baking; if it simmers or boils, the interior of the custard will be grainy. Bake for
about 40 minutes, or until a trussing needle or knife, plunged down through the
center of the custard, comes out clean.

Unmolding and serving

If you wish to serve the custard warm, set mold in a pan of cold water for
about 10 minutes to firm it up; otherwise chill in the refrigerator. To unmold, run a
knife between custard and edge of mold, place a serving dish upside down over the
mold, quickly reverse the two, and remove the mold from the custard. If you wish,
simmer 2 to 3 tablespoons of water in the mold to dissolve the remaining caramel;
strain around the custard.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line the mold with caramel as directed. Bring the
milk with the optional vanilla bean to just below the
simmer in a saucepan, cover, and let the bean steep
in the milk while you prepare the rest of the custard
ingredients.

Gradually beat the sugar into the eggs and egg yolks
in the bowl until well mixed, light, and foamy. Con-
tinue beating while pouring on the hot milk in a thin
stream of droplets. Stir in vanilla extract, if you have
not used a vanilla bean. Strain the mixture through a
sieve into the caramel-lined mold.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

6ll

VARIATIONS

To serve individual unmolded custards, use the custard mixture in the
preceding master recipe, and mold the custards as follows:

Petits Pots de Creme
[Cup Custards, Unmolded]

i quart caramel custard mix-
ture, the preceding recipe
8 caramel-lined, 2 /i cup
ramekins, page 585
A pan containing enough
boiling water to come
halfway up outside of
ramekins

Divide the custard mixture among the ramekins and
set them in the pan of boiling water. Bake for about
20 minutes in bottom third of preheated, 325-degree
oven. Cool; unmold when ready to serve.

Creme Sainte-Anne au Caramel
[Macaroon Cup Custards, Unmolded]

1 Tb butter

8 caramel-lined ramekins,
%-cup capacity, page 585

1 cup pulverized macaroons,
page 583

1 quart caramel custard mix-
ture, the master recipe

Butter the insides of the caramel-lined ramekins and
sprinkle 2 tablespoons of pulverized macaroons in
each. Fill with the custard mixture. Set in a pan of
boiling water and bake for about 20 minutes in bot-
tom third of preheated, 325-degree oven. Cool; un-
mold when ready to serve. You may garnish the
custards, if you wish, with one of the suggestions at
the left.

Optional garnishings

Creme anglaise (custard
sauce), page 588
OR, strawberry or raspberry
sauce, page 592
OR, fresh or canned peach
halves, coated with cara-
mel syrup, page 584

6 12

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

DIPLOMATE

P0UD1NG DE CABINET

[Custard with Glaceed Fruits, Unmolded — a warm or cold dessert]

This delicious and most classical of French desserts does not take too long
to prepare, and can be baked the day before your dinner party. The custard
is baked in a mold lined with ladyfingers which must be of best quality, tender
and dry, not spongy.

For 8 people

Vi cup small, seedless raisins
A saucepan of boiling water
A small bowl

Vi cup finely diced, mixed,
glaceed fruits, such as
cherries, angelica, apricots,
pineapple

3 Tb dark rum or kirsch

A round of buttered waxed Place the buttered paper in the bottom of the mold,
paper

A 6-cup cylindrical mold
about 3V2 inches high

Vi cup dark rum or kirsch Pour the rum or kirsch and water into the soup plate.

Vi cup water One by one, dip 20 to 25 ladyfingers (or enough to

A soup plate line the mold) into the liquid. Drain on cake rack.

About 40 single ladyfingers, Following directions on page 585, line the bottom and

3 Vi inches long and 2 the sides of the mold with the dipped ladyfingers.
inches wide (recipe for
homemade ladyfingers is
on page 666)

A cake rack

2 eggs Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a mixing bowl

3 egg yolks until light and foamy. Gradually beat in the boiling

V2 cup granulated sugar milk. Strain in the kirsch or rum from the glaceed

A 3-quart mixing bowl fruits.

A wire whip

2 cups milk, brought to the
boil with the grated rind
of 1 orange

Drop the raisins into the boiling water and let stand
for five minutes. Drain, and place in the bowl. Stir
in the glaceed fruits, the rum or kirsch, and let stand
until ready to use.

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS

613

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Z2 cup apricot preserves Spoon a ladleful of custard into the prepared mold,
forced through a sieve Over it sprinkle a small handful of the glaceed fruits,

then 2 to 3 tablespoons of apricot preserves. Cover with
2 or 3 ladyfingers, and spoon a bit of custard over
them. Wait for a moment for the ladyfingers to ab-
sorb the custard, then continue with layers of fruit,
apricot preserve, ladyfingers, and custard until the
mold is filled. Trim off protruding ladyfingers around
edge of mold.

A pan of boiling water Set mold in a pan of boiling water, and place in bot-

tom third of oven. Immediately reduce heat to 325
degrees. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, making sure water
in pan never comes to the simmer. When center of
custard has risen very slightly and a needle or knife
plunged to the bottom of the mold comes out clean,
custard is done. Remove from pan of water and let
cool. (May be served slightly warm, or chilled.)

Run a knife around the edge of the custard and re-
verse on a serving platter. Remove round of paper,
and surround the dessert with the sauce.

SWEET SOUFFLES

Souffles Sucres

Many people consider the desert souffle to be the epitome and triumph
of the art of French cookery, a glorious and exciting finish to a great meal.
Although sweet souffles are lighter and airier than entree souffles, the general
idea is the same: a flavored sauce base into which stiffly beaten egg whites are
incorporated. All the points discussed in the Entree chapter regarding souffles,
pages 157 to 163, apply also to sweet souffles; these include souffle molds, place-
ment in the oven, testing, and serving. The discussion in that section on how
to beat egg whites is of particular importance. Though you will get a souffle
of some sort no matter what you do, you will achieve magnificence only if
your egg whites are beaten so they mount smoothly and stiffly to about seven
rimes their original volume, and are then folded carefully into the sauce base
so that their maximum volume is retained.

A serving platter
2 cups strawberry sauce,
page 592

6 14

CHAPTER ten: DESSERTS AND CAKES

THE SAUCE BASE OR BOUILLI

Of the three standard methods for making a souffle base, the bechamel
with its cooked roux, the creme patissiere with its cooked egg yolks, and the
bouilli used in the following recipes, we prefer the bouilli for lightness. A
bouilli is milk, sugar, and flour or starch, boiled for a few seconds until thick-
ened. After it has cooled slightly, egg yolks, butter, and flavoring are beaten in,
then beaten egg whites are incorporated. Some people prefer a bouilli with
flour; others use potato starch, rice starch, or cornstarch. You may take your
choice except for the chocolate souffle which requires starch. Although you can
make a souffle without starch or flour, as in the lemon souffle tart on page 645,
you will find that it lacks something in texture and tenderness.

SOUFFLE MOLDS

Be sure to read the illustrated section on souffle molds, page 162 in the
Entree chapter.

TIMING

The following recipes for hot souffles are based on a 6-cup mold, and,
except for the chocolate souffle, take 30 to 35 minutes to bake. Since you may
fill your mold, cover it with an empty kettle, and let it wait about an hour be-
fore baking, you can time it quite accurately to coincide with dessert if you
are also able to estimate the general eating-speed for the rest of the meal. In
any case, no guest who knows a souffle is in the oven should mind waiting
a few minutes for dessert.

Souffles made in a 3-cup mold take 15 to 20 minutes to bake; those in an
8-cup mold, 40 to 45 minutes. Molds larger than 8-cup capacity are difficult
to time, and the souffle is so large it may not rise satisfactorily.

* SOUFFLE A LA VANILLE

[Vanilla Souffle]

All of the sweet souffles with the exception of chocolate may be made ac-
cording to the following vanilla souffle formula. A fairly quick operator can
make any of them ready for the oven in 20 minutes.

For 4 people

SWEET SOUFFLES

615

Preparing the souffle mold

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Vi Tb softened butter Measure out your ingredients. Butter the entire inner

A 6-cup mold, preferably surface of the mold. Roll granulated sugar around in
one 3 1/2 inches deep like it to coat the sides and bottom evenly. Knock out
the charlotte. See illus- excess sugar,
trations on page 162
Granulated sugar

The bouilli sauce base
A wire whip

3 Tb sifted all-purpose flour
A 2 '/2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

/a cup milk
/i cup granulated sugar

4 eggs Separate one egg, dropping the white into the bowl,

A bowl for beating egg and the yolk into the center of the sauce. At once beat

whites the yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Continue

A wire whip with the rest of the eggs, one by one.

Beat in half the butter. Clean sauce off sides of pan
with rubber scraper. Dot top of sauce with the rest of
the butter to prevent a skin from forming on the
surface.

(*) If made in advance, beat over gentle heat only
until sauce is barely warm to your finger, not hot.
Then proceed with recipe.

The egg whites

5 egg whites (4 left over Beat the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks

from the yolks and 1 ex- are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff

tra white) peaks are formed. (Directions for beating egg whites

Pinch of salt are on page 159.)

1 Tb granulated sugar

The flavoring

2 Tb vanilla extract Beat the vanilla into the sauce base. Stir in a fourth

(Or see Vanilla, page of the beaten egg whites. Delicately fold in the rest.

587, if you prefer the (Illustrated directions for folding are on page 161.)

bean)

2 Tb softened butter
A rubber scraper

Beat the flour in the saucepan with a bit of the milk
until well blended. Beat in the rest of the milk, and
the sugar. Stir over moderately high heat until mix-
ture thickens and comes to the boil. Boil, stirring, for
30 seconds. Sauce will be very thick. Remove from
heat and beat for 2 minutes to cool slightly.

1

6i6

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Filling the mold

Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared mold,
leaving a space of at least i J4 inches between the top
of the souffle and the rim of the mold. If the mold is
too full, the souffle will spill over as it rises.

( # ) If souffle is not to be cooked immediately, set an
empty kettle upside down over the mold. Filled mold
can now wait for about an hour before baking.

Baking the souffle

Powdered sugar in a shaker Place the mold in the middle level of the preheated

oven, and immediately turn down to 375 degrees. In
20 minutes, when the souffle has begun to puff and
brown, quickly sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
After a total of 30 to 35 minutes of baking, the top of
the souffle should be nicely browned, and a trussing
needle, straw, or long, thin knife, plunged into the
souffle through the side of the puff, should come out
clean.

Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

All of the following variations are based on the preceding master recipe,
using the same method and ingredients except for changes in flavor.

Souffle a l’ Orange

[Orange Souffle with Cointreau, Curasao, Grand Marnier, Etc.]

1 bright-skinned orange Use the master souffle formula. Before making the

2 large sugar lumps bouilli sauce base, rub the sugar lumps over the orange

to extract the oil. Mash the sugar lumps, grate the
orange part of the peel, add to the saucepan with the
granulated sugar, and proceed with the sauce base.

2 tsp vanilla extract instead
of 2 Tb

3 to 4 Tb orange liqueur

Beat the vanilla and the orange liqueur into the sauce
base just before incorporating the beaten egg whites.
Complete the recipe.

SWEET SOUFFLES

617

Souffle Rothschild

[Souffle with Glaceed Fruits and Kirsch]

% cup diced, mixed glaceed
fruits

!4 cup kirsch

Let the glaceed fruits stand in the kirsch for half an
hour.

2 tsp vanilla extract instead
of 2 Tb

Using the master souffle formula, prepare the bouilli
sauce base. Just before incorporating the beaten egg
whites, drain the fruits and beat their kirsch macera-
tion into the sauce base with the vanilla.

Turn a third of the souffle mixture into the prepared
mold. Sprinkle half of the glaceed fruits on top. Cover
with half the remaining souffle mixture, then with
the rest of the fruits, and finally the last of the souffle
mixture.

Souffle au Cafe
[Coffee Souffle]

Use the master souffle formula on page 614, but be-
fore making the bouilli sauce base:

3 Tb coffee beans
OR, 1 Tb instant coffee

Either bring / cup of the milk to the boil with coffee
beans, cover and steep for 5 minutes, then strain into
the milk and flour paste, beating thoroughly; or beat
instant coffee into % cup of boiling milk.

1 Tb vanilla extract rather
than 2 Tb

Then proceed with the recipe, beating the vanilla into
the sauce base before incorporating the beaten egg
whites.

Souffle Praline
Souffle aux Macarons

[Souffle with Caramelized Almonds or Macaroons]

Use the master souffle formula on page 614.

6i8

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

i Tb vanilla extract rather Stir the vanilla and the pralin or macaroons into the
than 2 Tb bouilli sauce base just before incorporating the beaten

Zi cup pralin, page 583, or egg whites,
the pulverized macaroons,
page 583

Souffle aux Amandes

[Almond Souffle]

Almonds may be added to any souffle, and are especially good with
coffee, orange, or chocolate, as well as with vanilla.

Use the master souffle formula on page 614.

2 Tb vanilla extract
Zt tsp almond extract
Z2 cup pulverized toasted al
monds, page 582

Stir the vanilla and almond extracts and almonds into
the boulli sauce base just before incorporating the
beaten egg whites.

Souffle Panache

[Half-and-half Souffle]

For two kinds of souffle cooked in the same mold, use vanilla, and coffee,
pralin, or orange. Chocolate will not do, as it cooks in a different manner.

The bouilli sauce base, Divide the sauce base into the two bowls.

master recipe, page 615
2 two-quart bowls

5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks
are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff
peaks are formed.

1 Tb vanilla extract

Beat the vanilla flavoring into one bowl, and fold in
half the beaten egg whites.

Z2 tsp vanilla extract Beat the vanilla extract and coffee into the other bowl,

2 tsp instant coffee mixed and fold in the remaining egg whites,
with 1 Tb boiling water

SWEET SOUFFLES

619

A 6-cup souffle mold pre-
pared as in the master
recipe

Zi cup pulverized maca-
roons, page 583, moistened
with 2 Tb orange liqueur

Turn half the vanilla souffle mixture into the pre-
pared mold. Sprinkle with a third of the macaroons
and liqueur mixture. Spread half of the coffee souffle
over this, then sprinkle on more macaroons. Continue
with the remaining vanilla souffle, macaroons, and the
last of the coffee souffle.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated, 375-degree
oven as for the master recipe.

SOUFFLE AU CHOCOLAT

[Chocolate Souffle]

Cooked chocolate is heavy in itself, and requires special treatment to
avoid a heavy, puddinglike souffle. Therefore, instead of making the souffle
with a flour and milk bouilli sauce-base, you will use a base of potato starch,
rice starch, or cornstarch and milk, and 3 rather than 4 egg yolks. Chocolate
souffles also take 10 to 15 minutes longer to cook than other souffles. Although
the general method is essentially the same as for the vanilla souffle, we give a
full recipe because there are slight differences in technique.

For 4 people

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

!4 Tb softened butter
A 6-cup souffle mold
2 to 3 Tb cake flour

Butter the souffle mold and roll cake flour in it rather
than sugar; knock out excess. Measure out your in-
gredients.

3 Zi ounces or squares of
semisweet baking choco-
late

2 Tb strong coffee
A small saucepan set over
almost simmering water

Stir the chocolate and coffee over the almost simmer-
ing water until chocolate is melted and smooth. Re-
move from stove and keep over hot water until ready
to use.

A wire whip

2 Tb potato starch/flour,
OR 2V2 Tb rice starch/
flour, OR 3 Tb cornstarch

Beat the starch and 3 tablespoons of the milk in the
saucepan until blended and smooth. Beat in the rest
of the milk, and the sugar. Stir over moderate heat
until the boil is reached. Boil and stir 3 seconds; this

620

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

I cup milk
A 4-cup saucepan
/ cup granulated sugar

will be very gluey, especially if you use potato starch.
Off heat, beat in the hot melted chocolate until well
blended.

A rubber spatula Clean off the sides of the saucepan and divide the

2 Tb softened butter butter over the sauce. Allow it to cool until it is tepid.

5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
i Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate
bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the
sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Direc-
tions are on page 159.)

A 3-quart mixing bowl
A rubber scraper
3 egg yolks

Scrape the chocolate sauce into the mixing bowl. Beat
in the three egg yolks, which may be added all at
once. Stir in one fourth of the egg whites; delicately
fold in the rest. Turn the souffle into the prepared
mold, leaving at least 1 / inches between the top of
the souffle and the rim of the mold.

Powdered sugar in a shaker Bake in middle level of preheated oven. In about 35

minutes, or when souffle has risen about an inch over
the top of the mold, rapidly sprinkle top with pow-
dered sugar. Bake another 10 minutes, making about
45 minutes in all. Souffle is done when a straw or
knife, plunged into the side of the puff, comes out
clean.

Optional, 2 cups: Serve at once, and accompany with a sauce or cream,

creme anglaise (custard if you wish,
sauce), page 588
OR, lightly whipped cream
flavored with sugar and
vanilla, page 580
OR, creme jratche, page
16

SOUFFLE DEMOULE AUX MACARONS

| Rum and Macaroon Souffle, Unmolded — a cold dessert]
For 6 to 8 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

SWEET SOUFFLES

621

1 tsp butter

An 8-cup fireproof, cylindri-
cal mold lined with cara-
mel, page 584

A wire whip or electric
beater

1Z2 cups (8 ounces) pulver-
ized macaroons, page 583

Za cup dark rum

A 3-quart mixing bowl

Za cup milk brought to the
boil with Za cup granu-
lated sugar

4 egg yolks

4 e gg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

A rubber spatula

A pan containing enough
boiling water to come
halfway up outside of
mold

A serving dish
3 cups chilled, coffee-fla-
vored creme anglaise
(custard sauce), page 588

Butter the inside of the caramel-lined mold.

Beat the macaroons and rum together in the mixing
bowl while pouring on the hot milk and sugar, and
continue beating for 1 minute.

One by one, beat in the egg yolks until blended with
the macaroons.

Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until
soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat
until stiff peaks are formed, page 159.

Fold the egg whites into the macaroon mixture, being
sure the mixture, which is very liquid, is thoroughly
but delicately blended with the egg whites. Turn into
prepared mold which will be filled by about two
thirds.

Place mold in pan of boiling water; set in lower third
of preheated, 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Then
reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking about
35 minutes more. Souffle will rise about to the top of
the mold. It is done when it shows a faint line of
shrinkage from the sides of the mold.

Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. The souffle will sink
down as it cools, and shrink more from the mold.
When chilled, reverse on the serving dish. Simmer 2
tablespoons of water in the mold to dissolve the re-
maining caramel; allow to cool for a moment, then
pour the caramel syrup over the souffle. Surround
with the sauce, and serve.

622

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

ILE FLOTTANTE

[Caramel Almond Souffle, Unmolded — a cold dessert]

French floating island is an unmolded souffle of beaten egg whites,
sugar, and flavoring, surrounded by a sauce so that it looks as though it were
floating. Those little mounds of egg whites floating on custard which are usu-
ally called floating island in English are the French dessert, oeujs a la neige.
For 6 to 8 people

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

V2 Tb softened butter Butter the mold, roll sugar in it, and knock out ex-

A 2-quart, fireproof, cylin- cess,
drical mold, preferably 4
inches high
2 to 3 Tb sugar

8 egg whites (1 cup)

Vs tsp salt

1 cup instant sugar (very
finely granulated)

Vi cup pralin (carmelized
almonds), page 583
A 3-quart bowl
A large wire whip or an
electric beater

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are
formed. Then start beating in the sugar, sprinkling
2 tablespoons at a time, alternating with the pralin.
Continue beating until all sugar and pralin have been
added, and the egg whites form stiff peaks.

A pan containing enough
boiling water to come
halfway up outside of
mold

Turn the mixture into the prepared mold, and set in
pan of boiling water. Place in bottom third of pre-
heated oven for about 40 minutes. Souffle is done
when it shows a faint line of shrinkage from the sides
of the mold.

A serving dish

2 Tb pralin

2 cups chilled creme an-
glaise (custard sauce),
page 588, flavored with
vanilla, chocolate, or cof-
fee

OR, 3 cups strawberry or
raspberry sauce, page 592

Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Souffle will sink as it
cools. Run a knife around the edge of the dessert and
reverse on the serving dish. Sprinkle with pralin, and
surround with one of the sauces.

FRUIT DESSERTS

623

FRUIT DESSERTS

Entremets aux Fruits

CHARLOTTE AUX PO AIMES

[Apple Charlotte, Unmolded— a hot or cold dessert]

This extremely good dessert is a thick, rum- and apricot-flavored apple
puree piled into a cylindrical mold which has been lined with butter-soaked
strips of white bread. It is baked in a very hot oven until the bread is golden
brown, and is then unmolded. For the sake of drama, the mold should be
A 1 / to 4 inches high. Be sure your apple puree is very thick indeed, or the des-
sert will collapse when unmolded.

For 6 to 8 people

6 lbs. crisp eating or cooking
apples

A heavy-bottomed enameled
pan (saucepan, casserole,
or skillet) 10 to 12 inches
in diameter
A wooden spoon

Vi cup apricot preserves,
forced through a sieve

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract
V4 cup dark rum

3 Tb butter

10 to 12 slices of homemade-
type white bread, 4 inches
square and '/4 inch thick
A 6-cup, fireproof, cylindri-
cal mold about 3 14 inches
high

1 cup clarified butter, page
*5

Quarter, peel, and core the apples. Slice them roughly
into J4 -inch pieces. You should have about 4 quarts.
Place in pan, cover, and cook over very low heat for
about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Uncover and beat in the apricot preserves, sugar, va-
nilla, rum, and butter. Raise heat and boil, stirring al-
most continuously, for about 10 minutes or until the
water content has almost entirely evaporated. The pu-
ree should be a very thick and fairly stiff paste which
holds itself in a solid mass in the spoon.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove crusts. Cut a square and 4 semicircles of bread
to fit the bottom of the mold exactly. Saute to a very
light golden color in 3 or 4 tablespoons of the clarified
butter. Fit them into the bottom of the mold. Cut the
rest of the bread into strips rJ4 inches wide. Dip in
clarified butter and fit them, overlapping each other,
around the inner circumference of the mold. Trim
off protruding ends.

624

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Pack the apple puree into the mold, allowing it to
form a dome about / inch high in the middle. (It
will sink as it cools.) Cover with 4 or 5 butter-dipped
bread strips. Pour any remaining clarified butter over
the ends of the bread around the edges of the mold.

Set in a pan (to catch butter drippings) and bake in
middle level of preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
Slip a knife between bread and sides of mold ; if bread
is golden brown, the charlotte is done. Remove from
oven and cool for 15 minutes. Reverse the mold on a
serving platter and lift the mold up a few inches to
see if the sides of the dessert will hold. If there is any
suggestion of collapse, lower the mold over the dessert
again; it will firm up as it cools. Test after 5 minutes
or so, until the mold can safely be removed.

/ cup apricot preserves, Boil the apricot, rum, and sugar until thick and sticky,

forced through a sieve Spread it over the charlotte. Serve the dessert hot,

3 Tb dark rum warm, or cold, with the optional sauce or cream.

2 Tb granulated sugar

Optional: 2 cups creme
anglaise (custard sauce),
page 588, or 2 cups lightly
whipped cream flavored
with rum and powdered
sugar, page 580

POMMES NORMANDE EN BELLE VUE

[Applesauce Caramel Mold — a warm or cold dessert]

This is a much lighter dessert than the apple charlotte, and also much

easier to prepare.

For 6 people

4 lbs. crisp cooking or eating Peel and core the apples. Slice them roughly into

apples %-inch pieces. You should have about 10 cups. Place

A heavy-bottomed enameled them in the pan; cover and cook over very low heat

pan (saucepan, casserole, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until

or skillet) about 10 inches tender,
in diameter

A pan

A serving platter

FRUIT DESSERTS

625

A wooden spoon

'A tsp cinnamon

The grated peel of 1 lemon

V2 cup granulated sugar

A cup rum, cognac, or ex-
cellent apple brandy
4 Tb butter
4 eggs
1 e gg white

A 6-cup, fireproof, cylindri-
cal mold lined with cara-
mel, page 584
A lid or a plate
A deep saucepan or kettle
Boiling water

A serving dish

4 Tb rum, cognac, or apple
brandy

2 cups lightly whipped
cream flavored with pow-
dered sugar and rum or
brandy, or 2 cups crdme
anglaise (custard sauce),
page 588

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat the cinnamon, lemon peel, and sugar into the
apples. Raise heat and boil, stirring, for 5 minutes or
so, until the apples have reduced to a thick puree
which will hold its shape in the spoon. You should
have about 4 cups of applesauce.

Remove from heat and stir in the rum or brandy, then
the butter. One by one, beat in the eggs, then the egg
white.

Turn the apple mixture into the caramel-lined mold.
Cover with lid or plate, and set in the saucepan or
kettle. Pour boiling water around the outside of the
mold to come up to the level of the apple mixture.
Place in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate oven
heat to maintain water almost at the simmer. The
dessert is done in 1 to i'/ 2 hours, when it begins to
shrink from the sides of the mold and the top, all ex-
cept for a small area in the very center, is set.

To serve warm, remove the mold from the saucepan
or kettle and allow the dessert to cool for 20 minutes.
Then reverse it on a serving dish. To serve cold, chill
the dessert 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Then run a
knife around the edge of the dessert and reverse on a
serving dish; in a few minutes it will dislodge itself
from the mold.

Simmer the rum or brandy in the mold to dissolve
any remaining caramel, and strain over the dessert.
Surround the dessert with the whipped cream or
sauce.

626

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

P0UD1NG ALSAC1EN

[Gratin of Sauteed Apples — a cold dessert]

This simple apple dessert is always better if prepared the day before it
is eaten, as a good 24 hours are needed for a slow blending of flavors.

For 6 to 8 people

2V2 lbs. crisp eating or cook-
ing apples

4 to 5 Tb butter
A 10- to 12-inch skillet
A lightly buttered baking
dish, 8 to 9 inches in di-
ameter and 2 inches deep

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut into 54 -inch
lengthwise slices. You should have about 7 cups.

Saute the apples, one layer at a time, in hot butter un-
til they are very lightly browned on both sides and
tender, but retain their shape. As they are done, place
them in the baking dish.

Z* cup plum jam, forced
through a sieve
2 Tb rum
A rubber spatula

Melt the plum jam in the skillet with the rum. Deli-
cately fold into the apples, and smooth the apples in
the dish.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

4 Tb butter

Z2 cup granulated sugar

3 e gg y° lks
1 Tb all-purpose flour
Z2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup fresh whole wheat or
rye bread crumbs

Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing
bowl until light and fluffy, page 581. Beat in the egg
yolks, then the flour and cinnamon, and finally the
bread crumbs.

2 egg whites Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are

Pinch of salt formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff

Z2 Tb granulated sugar peaks are formed (page 159). Fold the egg whites into

the bread-crumb mixture and spread evenly over the
apples.

Powdered sugar in a shaker Bake in middle level of preheated oven for 20 to 25

minutes, or until top has puffed slightly and has just

FRUIT DESSERTS

627

begun to color. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar
and continue baking another 20 to 25 minutes; the
top should be a nice golden brown under the sugar.

Allow to cool, then chill, preferably for 24 hours.

ASPIC DE POMMES

[Rum-Flavored Apple Aspic, Unmolded— a cold dessert]

Because the apples for this simple dessert are boiled in a heavy sugar
syrup, they jell when chilled and can be unmolded on a serving dish. It makes
a pretty effect with its decoration of glaceed fruits. Once made, the aspic may
be kept molded or unmolded under refrigeration for at least 10 days.

For 6 to 8 people

3 lbs. cooking apples

A heavy 12-inch enameled
skillet

% cup water
3 cups sugar
1 Tb lemon juice

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut into length-
wise slices Z s inch thick. You should have about 8
cups.

Bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to the boil, stir-
ring until sugar has dissolved. Add the apples and
boil over moderately high heat, stirring frequently to
keep them from sticking and burning, for about 20
minutes. They should become an almost transparent
mass.

A i-quart cylindrical mold
1 tsp tasteless salad oil
A round of waxed paper

While the apples are cooking, rub inside of mold
with oil; oil the waxed paper and set in the bottom
of the mold.

4 ounces (about Z4 cup)
glaceed fruits, such as red
and green cherries, an-
gelica, orange peel

Make a decorative design in the bottom of the mold
with half the fruit. Dice the rest and add it to boil
with the apples for 2 to 3 minutes at the end of the
cooking.

3 Tb dark rum When apples are done, remove from heat and stir in

the rum. Spoon into the mold and chill for 4 to 6
hours, or until set. Serve as follows :

628

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

A chilled serving dish
2 cups creme anglaise (cus-
tard sauce), page 588

Surround the mold with a hot towel for 10 to 15 sec-
onds. Run a knife around edge of mold, and reverse
the aspic onto a chilled serving dish. Surround with
the sauce and serve.

POMMES A LA SEVILLANE

[Apples Braised in Butter, Orange Sauce — a hot or cold dessert]

For 6 people

6 crisp, unblemished, cook-
ing or eating apples
A mixing bowl containing
2 quarts water and 2 Tb
lemon juice

A covered fireproof baking
dish just large enough to
hold the apples easily in
one layer
4 Tb butter

Va cup granulated sugar
y 2 cup dry white wine or
dry white vermouth
Z2 cup water
2 Tb cognac

A round of buttered waxed
paper

2 or 3 brightly colored or-
anges

A vegetable peeler

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

One by one, peel and core the apples, and drop into
the acidulated water.

Smear inside of baking dish with half the butter.
Drain the apples and place them upright in the dish.
Sprinkle with sugar and place a teaspoon of butter in
the center of each apple. Pour the wine, water, and
cognac around the apples. Lay the round of buttered
paper on top. Bring just to the simmer on top of the
stove. Cover and bake in lower third of preheated
oven for 25 to 35 minutes; it is important that you
maintain the liquid at the merest simmer to prevent
the apples from bursting. When a knife pierces them
easily, they are done. Be careful not to overcook them.

While apples are cooking, remove the orange part of
the skin with vegetable peeler. Cut into strips 2 inches
long and % inch wide. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes in
water until tender. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry.

6 canapes (rounds of white Also while the apples are baking, prepare the canapes,
bread sauteed in clarified and arrange on serving dish. When apples are done,
butter), page 199 place a drained apple on each canape.

A serving dish
A slotted spoon

FRUIT DESSERTS

629

Z2 cup red currant jelly Beat the jelly into the apple cooking liquid and boil
3 Tb cognac down quickly over high heat until thick enough to

coat a spoon lightly. Stir in the cognac and the cooked
orange peel, and simmer a moment. Spoon the sauce
and orange peel over the apples.

x'/2 to 2 cups heavy cream Serve them hot, warm, or cold, and pass the cream or
or creme anglaise (cus- sauce separately,
tard sauce) page 588

ORANGES GLACEES

[Glazed Oranges — a cold dessert]

This recipe calls for whole, peeled oranges, placed in a bowl, then glazed
with syrup and decorated with glazed orange peel. If you prefer sliced oranges,
allow one to a serving, slice them crosswise, re-form the oranges horizontally
in the serving dish, and glaze them.

For 6 people

6 large, brightly colored
navel oranges
A vegetable peeler
A small bowl
2 Tb orange liqueur

Remove the orange part of the skins with a vegetable
peeler and cut into strips % inch wide and 2 inches
long. Simmer in water for 10 to 12 minutes or until
tender. Drain, rinse in cold water, dry, and place in a
small bowl to stand with the liqueur.

A serving dish 2 inches deep Cut the white part of the peel neatly off the oranges

to expose their flesh. Cut a bit off one end of each, so
it will stand up. Arrange oranges in the serving dish,
with the flattened ends on the bottom.

2 cups granulated sugar
2 A cup water
A small saucepan
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Boil the sugar and water in the saucepan until it
reaches the firm ball stage (244 degrees). Stir 3 table-
spoons into the cooked orange peel. A spoonful at a
time, glaze the oranges slowly with the rest of the
syrup. Chill for several hours.

Optional: green-colored gla-
ceed fruit cut into leaf
shapes

Before serving, strain the orange peel. Decorate the
glazed oranges with the peel and optional glaceed
fruit. Pour the orange-peel maceration around the
oranges.

630

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

PECHES CARDINAL

[Compote of Fresh Peaches with Raspberry Puree — a cold dessert]

This is an especially nice dessert when both peaches and raspberries are
in season. Though the taste is not quite as good, you can substitute fresh apri-
cots or pears for the peaches, or use canned fruit. Frozen raspberries do not
make as thick a sauce as fresh ones, but are good anyway.

For 10 people

6 cups water

2% cups granulated sugar
2 Tb vanilla extract or a
vanilla bean
A 12-inch saucepan

10 firm, ripe, unblemished, Add the unpeeled peaches to the simmering syrup,

fresh peaches about 2V2 Bring again to the simmer, then maintain at just be-

inches in diameter low the simmer for 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat

A slotted spoon and let peaches cool in syrup for 20 minutes. (Syrup

A cake rack may be used again for poaching other fruits.) Drain

A serving dish 2 inches deep peaches on rack; peel while still warm, and arrange

in serving dish. Chill.

x quart fresh raspberries, Force the raspberries through a sieve and place the

and 1 14 cups granulated puree in the jar of an electric blender along with the

sugar sugar. Cover and blend at top speed for 2 to 3 min-

OR, 1V2 lbs. frozen raspber- utes, or until puree is thick and sugar has dissolved

ries, thawed and well completely. Chill. (Or beat puree and sugar for about

drained, and % cup sugar 10 minutes with an electric beater.)

An electric blender (or elec-
tric beater)

Optional: fresh mint leaves When both puree and peaches are chilled, pour the

puree over the peaches and return to refrigerator un-
til serving time. Decorate with optional fresh mint
leaves.

POIRES AU GRAT1N

[Pears Baked with Macaroons — a hot or cold dessert]
For 6 people

Simmer the water, sugar, and vanilla extract or bean
in the saucepan and stir until sugar has dissolved.

FRUIT DESSERTS

631

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 lbs. fresh ripe pears or Peel, quarter, and core the pears. Cut into lengthwise
drained canned pears slices about % inch thick. Arrange in overlapping
A baking dish about 2 layers in the baking dish,
inches high and 8 inches
in diameter, smeared with
2 Tb butter

4 Tb dry white wine or Beat the wine or pear juice and apricot preserves to-
dry white vermouth, or gether and pour over the pears,
canned pear juice
54 cup apricot preserves,
forced through a sieve

54 cup pulverized maca- Sprinkle on the macaroons and distribute the butter
roons, page 583 over them.

3 Tb butter cut into pea-
sized dots

Bake in middle portion of preheated oven for 20 to 30
minutes, or until top has browned lightly. Serve hot,
warm, or cold.

FLAN DES ISLES

[Pineapple Custard, Unmolded — a cold dessert]
For 6 to 8 people

2V2 cups drained, canned,
crushed pineapple, and
i 2 /} cups syrup from the
pineapple (or about 30
ounces: a No. 2V2 and a
No. 1 can)

A 6-to 8-cup saucepan

Boil the pineapple syrup for 5 minutes in the sauce-
pan. Add the pineapple, bring again to the boil, and
boil slowly 5 minutes more.

A wire whip
1 Tb flour

Beat flour and lemon juice in the mixing bowl until
blended, then beat in the kirsch or cognac, and the

632

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

3 Tb lemon juice
A 3-quart mixing bowl
Zt cup kirsch or cognac
5 eggs

eggs. Gradually beat in the hot pineapple mixture in
a thin stream of droplets.

A 6-cup, fireproof, cylindri-
cal mold lined with cara-
mel, page 584
A deep saucepan
Boiling water

Pour the pineapple custard into the caramel-lined
mold, and set mold in a deep saucepan. Pour boiling
water around the outside of the mold to come up to
the level of the custard. Bring to the simmer on top
of the stove, and maintain water barely at the simmer,
always on top of the stove, for 1 '/ to i'/ 2 hours. Cus-
tard is done when it begins to shrink from the sides
of the mold. A little circle in the center of the custard
will remain creamy.

Remove mold from water, let cool, then chill for 3 to
4 hours or overnight.

A serving platter
3 Tb kirsch or cognac
2 cups chilled creme an-
glaise (custard sauce),
page 588

Reverse on a serving platter. Simmer kirsch or cognac
in mold to dissolve remaining caramel. Strain it into
the chilled creme anglaise, and pour the sauce around
the custard.

DESSERT TARTS

Tartes Sucrees

French dessert tarts, like French entree tarts and quiches, are open faced
and stand supported only by their pastry shells. They should be beautiful to
look at, especially the fruit tarts which lend themselves to glittering arrange-
ments of rosettes and overlapping circles.

THE PASTRY

The pastry for dessert tart shells is molded and baked in a flan ring or a
false-bottomed cake pan so that the shell may be unmolded. You may use either
sweet short paste, which is ordinary short paste with sugar added, or pate
sablee, sugar crust, which, besides flour and butter, contains eggs and usually
more sugar. We give proportions for both here, and refer you to the illustrated
directions in the Entree chapter for their molding and baking.

DESSERT TARTS

633

FLOUR

Be sure to read the illustrated directions on how to measure flour, on
page 17. All our recipes are based on this method; other measuring systems
can give different results. The small proportion of vegetable shortening in-
cluded with the butter in each pastry recipe gives a less brittle crust when you
are using all-purpose flour. If you have pastry flour or French flour, you may
use all butter, increasing it by the amount indicated for vegetable shortening.
You will note, however, in the table following the measuring directions, that
various flours are not interchangeable; 1 % cups of pastry flour or French flour
is equivalent to 1 cup or 3 {4 ounces of all-purpose flour.

Pate Brisee Sucree

[Sweet Short Paste]

Sweet short paste is made exactly like regular short paste except that
sugar is mixed into the flour before you begin.

AMOUNTS NEEDED

For an 8- to 9-inch shell, proportions for iJ 4 cups flour
For a 10- to xi-inch shell, proportions for 2 cups flour

Proportions for 1 cup flour

1 cup (3V2 ounces) sifted Place the flour in the bowl, mix in the sugar and salt,
all-purpose flour then proceed to make the dough and mold the shell

A mixing bowl as described and illustrated on pages 140-5.

1 Tb granulated sugar
Vs tsp salt

5 Vi Tb fat: 4 Tb chilled but-
ter and 1/2 Tb chilled
vegetable shortening
2/2 to 3 Tb cold water

Pate Sablee

[Sugar Crust]

Sugar crusts are particularly good with fresh fruit tarts, like the straw-
berry tart on page 640. They are more delicate than sweet short paste shells
because of their eggs and additional sugar. The more sugar you mix in, the

634

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

more difficult it is to roll and mold the pastry because it is sticky and breaks
easily; the larger proportion of sugar, however, makes a delicious crust, actu-
ally a cooky dough.

For a 9 - to 1 0 -inch shell

2 cups (7 ounces) sifted all-
purpose flour

3 to 7 Tb granulated sugar
(see remarks in preceding
paragraph)

Vs tsp double-action baking
powder

7 Tb fat: 5 Tb chilled butter
and 2 Tb chilled vegetable
shortening

A 3-quart mixing bowl

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp wa-
ter

Z2 tsp vanilla extract

A pastry board

Waxed paper

Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening,
and baking powder in the mixing bowl. Rub the fat
and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of
your fingers until the fat is broken into bits the size
of small oatmeal flakes. Blend in the egg and vanilla,
and knead the dough rapidly into a ball. Place on a
pastry board and with the heel of your hand, not the
palm, rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonful bits
down on the board and away from you in a firm,
quick smear of about 6 inches. (This final blending
of fat and flour is illustrated on page 141.) The dough
will be quite sticky if you have used the full amount
of sugar. Form again into a ball, wrap in waxed paper,
and chill for several hours until firm.

Mold the pastry in a flan ring or false-bottomed cake
pan as described and illustrated on page 143. Work
rapidly if you have used the full amount of sugar, as
the dough softens quickly.

FULLY and PARTIALLY BAKED PASTRY SHELLS

Siveet Short Paste Shells

Sweet short paste shells, made from the formula in the first of the two
preceding recipes, are baked exactly like regular short paste shells, directions
for which are on page 146. You will note in these directions that shells may be
fully or partially baked. Partial baking is for shells which are filled and baked
again; this preliminary cooking sets the dough, and is a safeguard against
soggy bottom crusts. A fully baked shell may be used for fresh fruit tarts, and
and is an alternative to the sugar crust shell.

Sugar Crust Shells

Sugar crusts are usually fully baked, and must be watched while in the
oven as they burn easily if the full sugar proportions have been used. Because

DESSERT TARTS

635

the dough is collapsible until it has firmed in the oven, it is essential that the
dough be held in place against the sides of the mold by a lining of foil and
beans or a bean-filled mold, as illustrated in the directions for molding on
page 145.

Bake the sugar crust shell in the middle level of a preheated, 375-degree
oven for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough is set. Then remove the lining, prick
the bottom of the pastry with a fork in several places, and bake for 8 to 10
minutes more. The shell is done when it has shrunk slightly from the mold
and begins to brown very lightly. Immediately remove the mold from the
shell and slip the shell onto a rack. It will become crusty as it cools.

LEFTOVER PASTRY DOUGH and SUGAR COOKIES

Leftover dough, securely wrapped, will keep for several days in the
refrigerator or may be frozen. Or use it for sugar cookies in the following
recipe:

Galettes Sablees

[Sugar Cookies]

Leftovers from either or
both of the 2 preceding
pastries

A 1% inch cooky cutter
Granulated sugar
A baking sheet
Optional: cinnamon
1 egg beaten in a small bowl
with 1 tsp water
A pastry brush
A cake rack

Roll out the dough to a thickness of % inch, and cut
into rounds i'/ inches in diameter. Spread a J 4 -inch
layer of granulated sugar on your pastry board, lay a
round of dough over it, and heap sugar on top. Roll
the round into a sugar-coated oval about i / 2 inches
long and place on the ungreased baking sheet. When
all the cookies have been formed, sprinkle them with
cinnamon if you wish. Paint tops with beaten egg.
Bake in middle level of a preheated, 375-degree oven
for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on
a rack.

TARTE AUX POMMES

[Apple Tart — warm or cold]

The classic French apple tart consists of a thick, well-flavored applesauce
spread in a partially cooked pastry shell. Over it thinly sliced apples are placed

6 3 6

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Apple Tart

in an overlapping design of circles. After baking, it is coated with apricot
glaze.

For 8 people

A io-inch partially cooked Use the sweet short paste on page 633 for your pastry
pastry shell set on a bak- shell,
ing sheet, page 634

4 lbs. crisp cooking or eat-
ing apples

1 tsp lemon juice

2 Tb granulated sugar
A 2-quart mixing bowl

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enough to
make 3 cups into even >4 -inch lengthwise slices and
toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and sugar.
Reserve them for the top of the tart.

A 10-inch heavy-bottomed
pan: enameled saucepan,
skillet, or casserole
A wooden spoon
54 cup apricot preserves,
forced through a sieve
54 cup Calvados (apple
brandy), rum, or cognac;
or 1 Tb vanilla extract
Vi cup granulated sugar
3 Tb butter

Optional: 54 tsp cinnamon,
and/or the grated rind of
1 lemon or orange

Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices. You should
have about 8 cups. Place in the pan and cook, cov-
ered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring oc-
casionally, until tender. Then beat in the ingredients
at the left. Raise heat and boil, stirring, until apple-
sauce is thick enough to hold in a mass in the spoon.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

DESSERT TARTS

637

Spread the applesauce in the pastry shell. Cover with
a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples ar-
ranged in a spiral, concentric circles, or as illustrated
at the beginning of this recipe.

A cake rack or serving dish
Zi cup apricot glaze, page
593

2 cups heavy cream, or
creme fraiche, page 16

Bake in upper third of preheated oven for about 30
minutes, or until the sliced apples have browned
lightly and are tender. Slide tart onto the rack or
serving dish and spoon or paint over it a light coating
of apricot glaze. Serve warm or cold, and pass with it,
if you wish, a bowl of cream.

* TARTE NORMANDE AUX POMMES

[Custard Apple Tart — to be served hot]

While this creamy apple tart may be eaten cold, it is at its best when hot
or warm. It can be reheated.

For 6 people

An 8-inch partially baked Use the sweet short paste on page 633 for the pastry
pastry shell placed on a shell. Preheat oven to 375 degrees,
baking sheet, page 634

1 lb. crisp cooking or eating
apples

Vi cup granulated sugar
y 2 tsp cinnamon

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut into 14 -inch
lengthwise slices. You should have about 3 cups. Toss
them in a bowl with the sugar and cinnamon, then
arrange them in the pastry shell. Bake in upper third
of preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they
start to color and are almost tender. Remove from
oven and let cool while preparing the custard.

1 egg

Vi cup granulated sugar
'/ cup sifted flour
V2 cup whipping cream
3 Tb Calvados (apple
brandy) or cognac

Beat the egg and sugar together in a mixing bowl un-
til mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back on it-
self forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the
flour, then the cream, and finally the brandy. Pour
the mixture over the apples. It should come almost to
the top of the pastry shell.

Powdered sugar in a shaker Return to oven for 10 minutes, or until cream begins

to puff. Sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar and

638

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes more. Tart is done
when top has browned and a needle or knife plunged
into the custard comes out clean.

A cake rack or serving dish Slide tart onto a rack or serving dish, and keep warm

until ready to serve.

VARIATION

T arte aux Poires
[Pear Tart]

Using the same method and proportions, substitute sliced pears for die
apples.

LA TARTE DES DEMOISELLES TATIN

[Upside-down Apple Tart — hot or cold]

This is an especially good tart if your apples are full of flavor. It is cooked
in a baking dish with the pastry on top of the apples. When done, it is reversed
onto a serving dish and presents a lovely mass of caramelized apples.

For 8 people

4 lbs. crisp cooking or eating
apples

/i cup granulated sugar
Optional: r tsp cinnamon

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut into length-
wise slices y 8 inch thick. Toss in a bowl with the
sugar and optional cinnamon. You should have about
10 cups of apples.

2 Tb softened butter
A baking dish 9 to xo inches
in diameter and 2 to 2V2
inches deep (pyrex is prac-
tical, as you can see when
the tart is done)

V2 cup granulated sugar
6 Tb melted butter

Butter the baking dish heavily especially on the bot-
tom. Sprinkle half the sugar in the bottom of the dish
and arrange a third of the apples over it. Sprinkle
with a third of the melted butter. Repeat with a layer
of half the remaining apples and butter, then a final
layer of apples and butter. Sprinkle the rest of the
sugar over the apples.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chilled sweet short paste
(proportions for 1 cup of
flour), page 633

Roll out the pastry to a thickness of % inch. Cut it
into a circle the size of the top of the baking dish.
Place it over the apples, allowing its edges to fall

DESSERT TARTS

639

against the inside edge of the dish. Cut 4 or 5 holes
about y 8 inch long in the top of the pastry to allow
cooking steam to escape.

Aluminum foil, if needed Bake in lower third of preheated oven for 45 to 60

minutes. If pastry begins to brown too much, cover
lightly with aluminum foil. Tart is done when you
tilt the dish and see that a thick brown syrup rather
than a light liquid exudes from the apples between
the crust and the edge of the dish.

A fireproof serving dish Immediately unmold the tart onto serving dish. If the

Powdered sugar, if needed apples are not a light caramel brown, which is often

the case, sprinkle rather heavily with powdered sugar
and run under a moderately hot broiler for several
minutes to caramelize the surface lightly.

2 cups heavy cream, or Keep warm until serving time, and accompany with

creme fraiche, page 16 a bowl of cream. (May also be served cold, but we

prefer it warm.)

* TARTE AUX ABR1COTS
TARTE AUX PECHES

[Fresh Apricot or Peach Tart — warm or cold]

For 6 people

An 8-inch partially cooked For the shell use the sweet short paste on page 633.
pastry shell placed on a
baking sheet, page 634

8 to 10 fresh apricots or 3 or Drop the fruit in boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds.

4 freestone peaches Peel, halve, and remove pits. Slice the fruit if you wish.

Boiling water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Vi cup granulated sugar Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar in the bottom of the
2 Tb butter cut into pea- pastry shell. If the fruit is sliced, arrange it over the
sized dots sugar in a closely overlapping layer of concentric cir-

640

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

cles. If it is halved, place the halves, domed side up,
closely together in the shell. Spread on the rest of the
sugar. Dot with the butter.

Bake in middle level of preheated oven for 30 to 40
minutes, or until fruit has colored lightly and the
juices have become syrupy.

/ cup slivered almonds Slip the tart onto a rack. Decorate with the slivered

V2 cup apricot glaze, page almonds, and spread on the apricot glaze.

593

Serve warm or cold.

VARIATIONS

Use the same system with plums, pears, or canned fruit. A nice combina-
tion is slices of canned apricots alternating with slices of banana.

Tartes Flambees Any of these tarts may be flamed with liqueurs as they
are brought to the table, as described in the recipe for cherry tart, page 643.

* TARTE AUX FRAISES

[Fresh Strawberry Tart— cold]

Fresh fruit tarts are easy to make, pretty to look at, and refreshing to eat.
They consist of a fully baked tart shell which is lined with liqueur-flavored

DESSERT TARTS

641

creme patissicre (custard filling). The fresh fruit is arranged over die filling
and topped with apricot or red currant glaze. Odier suggestions follow this
recipe.

For 8 people

A 10-inch fully baked pastry Use either the sweet short paste, or the sugar crust
shell, page 634 for your tart shell. Recipes begin on page 633.

1 quart large, ripe, hand- Hull the strawberries. If necessary to wash them, do so
some strawberries very quickly, and drain them on a rack.

A cake rack

1 cup red currant jelly

2 Tb granulated sugar
2 Tb kirsch or cognac
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

A pastry brush

Boil the currant jelly, sugar, and liqueur in a small
saucepan until last drops from spoon are sticky (228
degrees). Paint the interior of the shell with a thin
coating of the glaze and allow to set for 5 minutes.
1 his will give the shell a light waterproofing. Reserve
the rest of the glaze for the strawberries. Warm it
briefly if it has hardened.

1V2 to 2 cups chilled creme Spread a ]/ z - inch layer of creme patissicre in the bot-
pdtissiere (custard fill- tom of the pastry shell.

*ng), P a g e 59°> with 2 to 3
Tb kirsch or cognac

Arrange a design of strawberries over the cream.
Put the largest strawberry in the center, and graduate
down in size, placing the berries closely together, their
stem ends in the cream. Spoon or paint over them a
thin coating of the glaze, and the tart is ready to serve.
(*) Because of the glazed waterproofing in the bottom
of the shell, the filled tart may wait an hour or so.

VARIATIONS

Using the same method as that for the preceding strawberry tart, substi-
tute a layer of peeled and seeded grapes, sliced bananas, raspberries, or poached

642

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

or canned peaches, apricots, plums, or pears. Follow the above illustration for
design.

TARTE AUX POIRES A LA BOURDALOUE

[Pear and Almond Tart — tepid or cold]

For 6 people

1V2 to 2 lbs. firm, ripe, un- Peel and halve the pears. Neatly stem and core them
blemished pears with a grapefruit knife. Drop each half, as it is pre-

Pear Tart

2 cups cold water and 1 Tb pared, into the acidulated water to keep it from discol-
lemon juice in a mixing oring.
bowl

2 cups red Bordeaux wine
2 Tb lemon juice
V* cup granulated sugar

Bring the wine, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon to
the boil in the saucepan. Drain the pears, and drop
into the boiling syrup; bring liquid to just below the

DESSERT TARTS

x stick or '/-> tsp cinnamon

A 3-quart enameled sauce-
pan

A slotted spoon

A rack

Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

l A cup red currant jelly in a
small saucepan

A wooden spoon

A 10-inch fully cooked
sugar-crust shell, page 633

2 14 cups chilled frangipane
(almond custard), page
591, with 2 Tb kirsch

Optional: 14 cup slivered al-
monds

643

simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until pears are tender
when pierced with a knife. Do not overcook; they
must hold their shape. Remove saucepan from heat
and let pears cool in the syrup for 20 minutes. Drain
the pears on a rack.

Rapidly boil down the syrup to the thread stage (230
degrees). Measure out *4 cup of syrup and simmer it
with the red currant jelly until jelly has dissolved and
the syrup coats the spoon with a light glaze.

Paint the inside of the shell with a thin layer of the
pear and jelly glaze.

Spread the frangipane in the pastry shell. Cut the
pears into crosswise or lengthwise slices and arrange
them over the custard.

Decorate with the optional almonds. Spoon a light
coating of the glaze over the top of the tart.

TARTE AUX CERISES , FLAMBEE

[Cherry Tart Flam bee \

For a spectacular entrance, sprinkle sugar over a cooked fruit tart, cara-
melize it briefly under the broiler, pour on liqueur, and ignite it as you enter
the dining room. The following recipe is for cherries; you may use die same
technique for the apricot or peach tart on page 639, and for the variations
following it.

The cherries

You may use canned Bing cherries or defrosted frozen cherries instead
of fresh for this recipe; drain thoroughly and let them stand for at least half
an hour with 3 tablespoons of kirsch or cognac and as much sugar as you feel
they need. Drain them again just before using, and beat their kirsch or cognac
into the cream filling.

For 6 people

3 cups fresh black cherries Wash and pit the cherries. Bring the wine, lemon
1 cup red Bordeaux wine juice, and sugar to the boil. Drop in the cherries, and

644

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

2 Tb lemon juice
6 Tb granulated sugar
A 2-quart enameled sauce-
pan

An 8-inch, fully cooked
pastry shell, page 634, set
in a fireproof serving
dish

1 14 cups cold creme pdtis-
siere (custard filling),
page 590, or frangipane
(almond custard), page
591, with 2 Tb kirsch or
cognac

3 Tb granulated sugar
14 cup kirsch or cognac,
warmed in a small sauce-
pan

bring the liquid to just below the simmer for 5 to 6
minutes or until cherries are tender, but retain their
shape. Allow cherries to cool in the syrup for 20 to 30
minutes. Drain.

Use either of the sweet pastry recipes beginning on
page 633. If you wish to fill the tart shell some time
before serving, paint the interior with a thin coating of
red currant glaze, page 594.

Fold the drained cherries into the custard, and spread
the mixture in the tart shell.

Preheat broiler to moderately hot.

Immediately before serving, sprinkle the sugar over
the surface of the tart and run it under the broiler for
2 to 3 minutes to caramelize the sugar lightly; be care-
ful it does not burn. Just before entering the dining
room, pour the warm liqueur over the hot caramelized
surface. Avert your face and ignite the liqueur with a
lighted match; bring the flaming tart to the table.

TARTE A L’ANANAS

[Pineapple Tart]

For 6 people

1 No. 2 can of sliced pine-
apple, pineapple wedges,
or crushed pineapple (1V2
cups fruit and about
cup syrup)

Drain the pineapple. Boil the canned pineapple syrup
for 5 minutes in a saucepan. Add the pineapple and
boil for 5 minutes more. Drain the pineapple, and
allow it to cool.

V2 cup red currant jelly
2 Tb kirsch or cognac
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Boil the pineapple syrup with the jelly and liqueur
until it reduces to a glaze (last drops are sticky when
dropped from a spoon, 228 degrees) .

DESSERT TARTS

645

A pastry brush Paint the interior of the shell with a coating of the

An 8-inch, fully cooked, pineapple glaze. Spread the creme patissiere in the
sugar-crust shell, page 633 pastry shell.
i !4 to 2 cups chilled creme
patissiere (custard fill-
ing), page 590, with 2 to 3
Tb kirsch or cognac

Optional: 14 cup diced red
and green glaceed fruit
and l A cup slivered al-
monds

When the pineapple is cold, arrange it over the filling.
Decorate with the optional glaceed fruits and al-
monds. Spoon a light coating of pineapple glaze over
the top.

TARTE AU CITRON
TARTE AUX LIMETTES
[Lemon or Lime Souffle Tart — hot]

This delicious, light tart is really a souffle. The same filling is also attrac-
tive in little tart shells served for afternoon tea. Speaking of these, see also the
lemon butter filling on page 676.

For 8 people

A 10-inch, cooked, sugar-
crust shell placed on a
baking sheet, page 633
(use only 3 Tb sugar in
the pastry)

When you bake the shell let it barely color so it will
not brown too much when it goes again into the oven.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

A wire whip or electric
beater

A 3- to 4-quart stainless steel
bowl

Zi cup granulated sugar
4 e gg yolks

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and con-
tinue beating until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and
falls back on itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon.
Beat in the rind and juice. Set bowl over not-quite-
simmering water and stir with wooden spoon until
mixture is too hot for your finger (165 degrees), and

646

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

The grated rind of 1 lemon thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly. Be careful
or 2 limes not to overheat it and scramble the egg yolks.

3 Tb lemon juice or lime
juice

A pan of not-quite-simmer-
ing water
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy ther-

mometer

4 egg whites Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are

A pinch of salt formed; sprinkle on the sugar and continue beating

!4 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks are formed (page 159). Fold the egg

whites delicately into the warm lemon or lime mix-
ture and turn into the tart shell.

Powdered sugar in shaker Bake for about 30 minutes in middle level of preheated

oven. When tart has begun to puff and color, sprinkle
with powdered sugar. It is done when top is lightly
brown, and a needle or knife plunged into the center
comes out clean.

If you cannot serve it immediately, leave in turned-off
hot oven with the door ajar. It will sink slightly as it
cools. (May be served hot, warm, or cold but we think
it is best hot.)

TARTE AU CITRON ET AUX AM ANDES

[Lemon and Almond Tart — cold]

For 6 people

An 8-inch, cooked, sugar- When you bake the shell, let it barely color so it will

crust shell placed on a not brown too much when it goes again into the oven,

baking sheet, page 633
(use only 3 Tb sugar in
the pastry)

3 lemons

A vegetable peeler

Remove the yellow part of the lemon skin with a vege-
table peeler; cut into julienne strips inch wide
and 2 ! /2 inches long. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes in wa-
ter. Drain thoroughly.

DESSERT TARTS

647

2 cups granulated sugar
2 /s cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
A small saucepan
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Boil the sugar and / cup of water to the thread stage
(230 degrees); add the vanilla and lemon peel. Let
stand for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

An electric beater or wire
whip
2 eggs

Z2 cup granulated sugar
A 3-quart mixing bowl

Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl for 4 to 5
minutes, or until mixture is thick, pale yellow and falls
back on itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon.

3 A cup (4 ounces) pulverized
almonds, page 582
!4 tsp almond extract
The grated rind and
strained juice of 1V2
lemons
A rack

Beat in the almonds, almond extract, lemon rind, and
lemon juice. Pour this almond cream into the pastry
shell and bake in middle level of preheated oven for
about 25 minutes. Tart is done when cream has puffed,
browned very lightly, and a needle or knife plunged
into the cream comes out clean. Slide tart onto rack.

Drain the strips of lemon peel and strew them over
the tart. Boil their syrup down until it is a glaze (last
drops are sticky when fall from spoon, 228 degrees),
and spoon a thin coating over the top of the tart. This
tart is usually served cold, but may be eaten warm if
you wish.

* TARTE AU FRO MAGE FRAIS

[Cream Cheese Tart — hot or cold]

This is really a quiche, and very simple indeed to make.

For 6 people

An 8-inch partially baked Use the recipe for sweet short paste on page 633.
pastry shell placed on a
baking sheet, page 634

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

648

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Vz lb. (1 cup) cream cheese
4 ounces (1 stick) softened
unsalted butter
Vi cup granulated sugar
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wooden spoon or electric
beater
2 eggs

Big pinch of nutmeg

Cream the cheese, butter, and sugar together in a mix-
ing bowl. Beat in the eggs and nutmeg. Turn into pas-
try shell and bake in upper third of preheated oven for
25 to 30 minutes. Tart is done when it has puffed and
browned, and a needle or knife plunged into the cen-
ter comes out clean.

Tart will sink slightly as it cools. It may be served hot
and puffed, or warm, or cold. It may also be reheated,
but will not puff again.

VARIATION

Tarte an Fromage Frais et aux Pruneaux

[Cream Cheese and Prune Tart]

Zz cup “tenderized” prunes
Vz cup (about 3 ounces)
pulverized almonds, page
582

14 tsp almond extract

Soften prunes for 5 minutes in hot water. Drain, re-
move pits, and dice the prunes. Stir prunes, almonds,
and almond extract into tart mixture after the eggs
have been beaten in.

DESSERT CREPES

Crepes Sucrees

Dessert crepes, especially if they are for crepes Suzette, should be as thin
and delicate as possible. There are numerous varying recipes for making them;
some use egg yolks, others use whole eggs, and still others specify cream rather
than milk. The lightness of cripes made from the following recipe can be at-
tributed to the use of milk diluted with water. If you wish a heavier crepe, use
all milk, or light cream. The batter for dessert crepes, like that for entree
crepes, must rest at least 2 hours before using.

METHOD FOR COOKING CREPES

The procedure for cooking crepes is described and illustrated in the En-
tree chapter on page 191. You may wish to saute them in clarified butter, page
15, rather than in oil and butter. As dessert crepes are fragile, you will proba-

DESSERT CREPES 64 9

bly find it best to lift them with your fingers to turn and cook them on the
other side.

Cripes may be made several hours before serving time. Pile them in a
dish, cover with waxed paper and a plate to keep them from drying out.

CREPES FINES SUCREES

[Light Batter — for crepes Suzette ]

(If you do not have an electric blender proceed as follows: Gradually
work the egg yolks into the flour with a wooden spoon, beat in the liquids by
droplets, then strain the batter through a fine sieve.)

Tor 10 to 12 crepes 6 inches in diameter, or 16 to 18 crepes 4 to 5
inches in diameter

% cup milk
/a, cup cold water
3 e gg y° ,ks

1 Tb granulated sugar
3 Tb orange liqueur, rum,
or brandy

x'/i cups sifted all-purpose
flour

5 Tb melted butter
An electric blender
A rubber scraper

Place the ingredients in the blender jar in the order
in which they are listed. Cover and blend at top speed
for 1 minute. If bits of flour adhere to sides of jar, dis-
lodge with a rubber scraper and blend 3 seconds more.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

CREPES A LA LEVURE

[Yeast Batter— for stuffed crepes]

The addition of yeast makes a more tender and slightly thicker cr£pe.

Ingredients for the preced-
ing crepe batter
1 V 2 tsp fresh or dry yeast

Warm [4 CU P of the milk to blood temperature (about
90 degrees) and allow the yeast to dissolve in it. Add
it to the rest of the ingredients in the blender and pro-
ceed with the recipe.

Cover the batter with a towel and let it stand at room
temperature for about 2 hours, or until the yeast has
worked and the batter looks bubbly on top. Use imme-
diately, or the yeast will overferment.

650

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

CREPES SOU FF LEES

[Raised Batter— for stuffed crepes]

Beaten egg whites folded into die batter makes the crepes puff slightly.

Ingredients for one of the
preceding crepe batters,
either plain or with yeast
3 e gg whites
Pinch of salt

After the batter has rested for 2 hours, and just before
you wish to make your crepes, beat the egg whites and
salt until stiff. Fold half into the batter, fold in the
other half, then make the crepes.

CREPES SUZETTE

[Crepes widi Orange Butter, Flam bees]

Every chef has his own recipe for crepes Suzette; of the many we have
tried, we find this one especially good. Obviously if you plan to perform in
public with a chafing dish, it is a good idea to practice on your family until
you become adept at folding and flaming. Crepes 4 to 5 inches in diameter are
a convenient size, and three of these per person is the usual serving.

For 6 people

The orange butter

4 large lumps of sugar
2 bright-skinned oranges
A vegetable peeler

Rub the sugar lumps over the oranges until all sides
of the lumps have absorbed oil. Remove the orange
part of the skin of both oranges with a vegetable
peeler.

'4 cup granulated sugar Mash the sugar lumps on a chopping board. Add the
A 3-quart mixing bowl orange peel and granulated sugar and chop with a

heavy knife until peel is very finely minced. Scrape
into a mixing bowl.

Z2 lb. softened unsalted but-
ter

An electric beater or a
wooden spoon

Cream in the softened butter, beating until mixture
is light and fluffy. (An electric beater is fine for this.)

Vs cup strained orange juice By droplets, beat the orange juice and orange liqueur

DESSERT CREPES

651

3 Tb orange liqueur into the butter, making a thick cream. Cover and re-

frigerate until ready to use.

T he chafing dish finish

18 cooked crepes 4 to 5 Use the recipe for crepes fines sucrees, page 649.
inches in diameter

A chafing dish set over an Place the orange butter in the chafing dish and heat
alcohol flame until it is bubbling.

Dip both sides of a crepe in the butter. Its best-looking
side out, fold it in half and in half again, to form a
wedge. Place it at the edge of the chafing dish. Rap-
idly continue with the rest of the crepes until all have
been dipped, folded, and arranged.

Sprinkle the crepes with the sugar. Pour over them
the orange liqueur and cognac. Avert your face and
ignite the liqueur with a lighted match. Shake the
chafing dish gently back and forth while spooning the
flaming liqueur over the crepes until the fire dies
down. Serve.

CREPES EOURREES ET FLAMBEES

[Crepes with Orange-almond Butter, Flambees ]

These crepes are stuffed with orange-flavored almond butter, and may be
flamed in a chafing dish, or brought flaming to the table as suggested here.
For 6 to 8 people

The orange-almond butter

Z2 cup pulverized almonds, Beat the almonds or macaroons and almond extract
page 582, or pulverized into the orange butter,
macaroons, page 583
l A tsp almond extract
The orange butter in the
preceding recipe

Filling the crapes

18 cooked crepes 4 to 5 Use any of the 3 crepe recipes starting on page 649.
inches in diameter Spread the butter on the less good side of each

2 Tb granulated sugar
Zs cup orange liqueur
Zs cup cognac

A spoon and fork

6 52

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

A lightly buttered baking cooked crepe, and fold into wedge shapes, or roll

dish suitable for serving them, to enclose the butter filling. Arrange in the

baking dish.

(*) If not to be heated immediately, cover with
waxed paper and refrigerate.

Flaming the crepes

3 "Tb granulated sugar Shortly before serving time, sprinkle with sugar and

set in a preheated, 375-degree oven for 10 to 15 min-
utes until dish is very hot and crepes are beginning
to caramelize on top.

Zs cup orange liqueur and
Vi cup cognac warmed in
a small saucepan
A long-handled serving
spoon

Just before entering the dining room, pour the warm
orange liqueur and cognac over the hot crepes. Avert
your face, ignite crepes with a lighted match, and
bring them blazing to the table. The server tilts the
dish and spoons the flaming liqueur over the crepes
until the fire dies down.

CREPES FOURREES, FRANG1PANE

[Crepes with Almond Cream]

This is a much lighter filling than the preceding orange-almond butter.
It may be set aflame if you wish, or served with chocolate as suggested in the
recipe.

For 6 people

12 cooked crepes 6 inches in Use any of the three recipes for crepes beginning on
diameter page 649.

1Z2 cups frangipane (al-
mond custard), page 591
A lightly buttered baking-
serving dish

2 ounces or squares of semi-
sweet baking chocolate
2 Tb melted butter
x Tb granulated sugar

Spread 2 tablespoons of frangipane on the less-good
side of each crepe. Fold the crepes into wedge shapes,
or roll them, to enclose the filling, and arrange in the
baking dish. Grate the chocolate over the crepes,
sprinkle on the melted butter, then the sugar.

About 20 minutes before serving, set in a preheated
350-degree oven until the chocolate has melted. Serve
hot or warm.

DESSERT CREPES

653

GATEAU DE CREPES A LA NORMANDE

[Mound of Crepes with Apples, Flambe ]

Instead of stuffing each crepe separately, you can pile them one upon the
other with a layer of filling between each, as in this recipe.

For 6 to 8 people

2 lbs. crisp cooking or eat-
ing apples

A heavy-bottomed, 3-quart
pan: saucepan, casserole,
or skillet
A wooden spoon
Z2 cup granulated sugar,
more if needed

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Chop them
roughly. You should have about 5 cups. Cook in a
covered pan over low heat for about 20 minutes, stir-
ring occasionally, until apples are tender. Uncover,
add sugar, raise heat and boil, stirring, for 5 minutes
or more. Applesauce should reduce and be thick
enough to hold itself in a fairly solid mass in the
spoon. Add more sugar while the apples are cooking
if you feel it necessary.

2 Tb whipping cream
Z4 tsp almond extract
2 Tb Calvados (apple
brandy), cognac, or dark
rum

Stir the cream, almond extract, and brandy or rum
into the applesauce.

10 to 12 cooked crepes 6
inches in diameter

Use the raised batter recipe for crepes soufflees on page
650.

A lightly buttered baking-
serving dish

Z2 cup (3 ounces) pulverized
almonds, page 582, or pul-
verized macaroons, page
5 8 3

2 Tb slivered almonds or
pulverized macaroons
2 Tb melted butter
2 Tb granulated sugar

Center a crepe in the bottom of the dish. Spread a
layer of apples over it and sprinkle with a scant table-
spoon of almonds or macaroons. Continue with layers
of crepe, apples, and almonds, ending with a crepe.
This will look like a many-layered cake. Sprinkle the
almonds or macaroons over the last crepe. Pour on
the butter and sprinkle with the sugar.

About 30 minutes before serving, place in the upper
third of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through
thoroughly. The sugar on top of the mound should
almost begin to caramelize. Serve as follows:

654

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

'/2 cup Calvados (apple
brandy), cognac, or dark
rum, warmed in a small
saucepan

A long-handled serving
spoon

Just before entering the dining room, pour the warm
brandy or rum over the hot mound of crepes. Avert
your face, set liqueur aflame with a lighted match,
and bring the blazing dessert to the table. The server
should spoon the flaming liqueur over the dessert un-
til the fire subsides, then cut portions from the mound
as from a cake.

OTHER FILLINGS FOR CRAPES

Here are some other ideas following the general method in any of die
preceding recipes. Flame the crepes or not, as you wish.

Fresh Fruits

Let strawberries, raspberries, or sliced bananas stand in a bowl with a
sprinkling of sugar and kirsch, orange liqueur, or cognac for an hour, then
use as a filling.

Stewed Fruits

Any of the following may be folded into an equal amount of creme pa-
tissiere (custard filling), page 590, and then used for stuffed crepes or a mound
of crepes:

Apples, peeled, sliced, sauteed in butter, then sprinkled with sugar and
cinnamon

Pears, peeled, poached in red-wine syrup, as in tarte aux poires a la
Bourdaloue, page 642, then diced and sprinkled with crumbled macaroons

Peaches, apricots, or plums poached in syrup, using the system for poach-
ing peaches in pechcs cardinal, page 630, then drained, peeled, and diced

Pineapple (crushed, canned pineapple), drained, the syrup boiled for 5
minutes, then the pineapple boiled in the syrup for 5 minutes more and
drained

Jams, Preserves, and Jellies

These simple fillings make a delicious dessert when the crepes are flamed
with liqueur. To prepare them, mix a little kirsch, cognac, or orange liqueur
into red currant jelly, or raspberry, strawberry, apricot, or cherry jam or pre-
serves. Stir in also, if you wish, some crumbled macaroons. Spread the filling
on the crepes, roll, fold them, or pile them into a mound in a fireproof dish.

FRUIT FLANS

655

Sprinkle with melted butter and granulated sugar, and set in a preheated,
375-degree oven until thoroughly heated. Flame with warmed liqueur just as
you bring them to die table.

FRUIT FLANS

Clajoutis

* CLAFOUTI

[Cherry Flan]

The clafouti (also spelled with a final “s” in both singular and plural)
which is traditional in the Limousin during the cherry season is peasant cook-
ing for family meals, and about as simple a dessert to make as you can imagine :
a pancake batter poured over fruit in a fireproof dish, then baked in the oven.
It looks like a tart, and is usually eaten warm.

(If you have no electric blender, work the eggs into the flour with a
wooden spoon, gradually beat in the liquids, then strain the batter through a
fine sieve.)

For 6 to 8 people

3 cups pitted black cherries

1 14 cups milk

Vi cup granulated sugar

3 e gg s

1 Tb vanilla extract
Vs tsp salt

Vi cup sifted all-purpose
flour

An electric blender

A 7- to 8-cup lightly but-
tered, fireproof baking
dish or pyrex pie plate
about 1/2 inches deep

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use fresh, black, sweet cherries in season. Otherwise
use drained, canned, pitted Bing cherries, or frozen
sweet cherries, thawed and drained.

Place the ingredients at left in your blender jar in the
order in which they are listed. Cover and blend at top
speed for 1 minute.

Pour a 14 'inch layer of batter in the baking dish or
pie plate. Set over moderate heat for a minute or two
until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish.
Remove from heat. Spread the cherries over the bat-

6 5 6

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

An asbestos mat, if necessary ter and sprinkle on the sugar. Pour on the rest of the

/} cup granulated sugar batter and smooth the surface with the back of a

spoon.

Powdered sugar in a shaker Place in middle position of preheated oven and bake

for about an hour. The clafouti is done when it has
puffed and browned, and a needle or knife plunged
into its center comes out clean. Sprinkle top of
clafouti with powdered sugar just before bringing it
to the table. (The clafouti need not be served hot, but
should still be warm. It will sink down slightly as it
cools.)

VARIATIONS

The clafouti in the preceding master recipe is the simple and classic ver-
sion. Here are some variations:

Clafouti a la Liqueur

[Cherry Flan with Liqueur]

Ingredients for the preced- Follow the master recipe but first let the cherries stand
ing clafouti for i hour in the kirsch or cognac and sugar. Substi-

Zt cup kirsch or cognac tute this liquid for part of the milk called for in the

Zi cup granulated sugar batter; omit the Zi sugar near the end of the recipe.

Clafouti aux Poires

[Pear Flan ]

Ingredients for the master Follow the master recipe with these changes: Substi-
clafouti with changes as tute pears for cherries, and let stand for i hour in
indicated wine, kirsch, or cognac and sugar. Substitute this

3 cups peeled, cored, and liquid for part of the milk called for in the batter;
sliced ripe pears (iZt to omit the Zi cup of sugar near the end of the recipe.
iZi lbs. pears)

Z* cup sweet white wine,
kirsch, or cognac
Zi cup granulated sugar

FRUIT FLANS

657

Clafouti aux Pruneaux

[Plum Flan\

Ingredients for the master
clafouti with changes as
indicated

1 lb. firm, ripe plums
Boiling water

!4 cup orange liqueur,
kirsch, or cognac
Zi cup sugar

Follow the master recipe with these changes: Substi-
tute plums for cherries, and drop in boiling water for
exactly 10 seconds. Peel. Slice them or leave whole.
Let stand with liqueur, kirsch, or cognac and sugar
for 1 hour. Substitute this liquid for part of the milk
called for in the batter; omit the Zi cup sugar near
the end of the recipe.

Clafouti aux Pommes

[Apple Flan\

Ingredients for the master
clafouti with changes as
indicated

About 1 Za lbs. crisp eating
or cooking apples
3 to 4 Tb butter
An enameled skillet
Zt cup Calvados (apple
brandy), dark rum, or
cognac

Zs tsp cinnamon
Zi cup sugar

Follow the master recipe with these changes: Substi-
tute apples for cherries; peel, core, and cut them into
lengthwise slices % inch thick. You should have
about 3 cups. Saute to brown very lightly in hot but-
ter, then let stand in the skillet for Zi hour with the
brandy or rum, cinnamon, and sugar. Substitute this
liquid for part of the milk called for in the batter;
omit the Zi cup sugar near the end of the recipe.

Clafouti aux Mures
Clafouti aux Myrtilles
[Blackberry or Blueberry Flan ]

Ingredients for the master
clafouti or the variation
following it with changes
as indicated

3 cups (about iZt lbs.)
stemmed and washed
blackberries or blueberries

Follow the master recipe or the variation after it with
these changes: Substitute berries for cherries and, be-
cause berries are very juicy, increase the flour for your
batter from % to iJ4 cups.

658

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Clafouti d la Bourdaloue

[Cherry or Pear Flan with Almonds]

Ingredients for either of the
2 cherry flans, or for the
pear flan

Zi cup blanched almonds
(can be bought in a can)
1 tsp almond extract

Follow the master recipe for cherry flan, or the varia-
tion after it, or the recipe for pear flan, but puree the
almonds in the blender with the milk called for in
your batter. Add the almond extract, and proceed
with the recipe.

BABAS AND SAVARINS

Babas et Savarins

Babas and savarins always seem to delight guests, and they are not diffi-
cult to make if you have any feeling at all for doughs and baking. They may
be cooked a day or two ahead. They freeze perfectly; all you need to do to
make them ready to imbibe their syrup is to pop them from the freezer into a
300-degree oven, to warm through for about 5 minutes.

Whenever you are working with yeast doughs, do so in a warm place
free from drafts; a sudden chill can cause the dough to fall. So that the dough
will rise in one to two hours, cover it with a damp towel and set it where the
temperature remains between 80 and 100 degrees. If you can control the heat
and have a thermometer, put it in a plate-warming oven, or in a baking oven,
heating briefly every once in a while to maintain the correct temperature. Or
place the covered bowl on a pillow over die radiator. If you allow the dough
to rise too much, or too long, or at too warm a temperature, it will develop a
taste of overfermented yeast.

* PATE A BABA ET BABAS

[Baba Paste and Babas\

For about 12 babas
Mixing the paste

4 Tb butter Melt the butter, and let it cool to tepid while you are

preparing the other ingredients.

BABAS AND SAVARINS

659

1 package, about Vi ounce,
fresh yeast

A fork or wire whip
A 3-quart mixing bowl

2 Tb granulated sugar
Z& tsp salt

2 eggs

Mash the yeast with a fork or wire whip in the bowl,
then beat in the sugar and salt until the mixture forms
a wet paste. Beat in the eggs and blend well.

2 cups sifted all-purpose
flour

A wooden spoon

Mix in the flour and the cool melted butter with a
wooden spoon.

Kneading the paste

Then with the fingers of one hand held together and
slightly cupped, knead the dough by lifting it, slap-
ping it, and pulling it vigorously against the sides of
the bowl for about 5 minutes. It will be very sticky at
first, but will gradually detach itself from the bowl
and from your hand. It has been worked to sufficient
elasticity and body when you can grasp it in both
hands, pull it to a length of 10 to 12 inches, and give
it a full twist without breaking it. (note: If you are
doubling the recipe, you will have to remove the
dough from the bowl and knead it by pulling and
slapping it between your hands, like taffy.)

Preliminary rising in a bowl

1 tsp flour

Form it into a ball in the bottom of the bowl. Cut a
cross an inch deep on top and sprinkle the ball with
the flour. Cover the bowl with several thicknesses of
damp towel and let it rise in a warm place, 80 to 100
degrees, for I'/i to 2 hours, or until the dough has
doubled in bulk.

Again with the cupped fingers of one hand, gently
deflate the dough by gathering it from the sides of
the bowl to the center.

Final rising in molds

1 Tb softened butter
12 baba, popover, or muffin
cups or muffin tins, about

Butter inside of cups. Lightly break off about a table-
spoon of dough, enough to fill a third of a cup, and
press it lightly into the bottom of the cup. Do not

66 o

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Cylindrical Baba Mold, 2
Inches Deep and 2 Inches
in Diameter

2 inches deep and 2 inches bother to even the top o£ the dough as it will smooth
in diameter out as it rises.

Place the cups, uncovered, again in a warm place and
allow to rise 1 to 2 hours more, or until the dough is
J4 inch over the rim of the cups.

Baling

As soon as the dough has risen this second time — and
do not delay or it may collapse— bake in the upper
third of a preheated, 375-degree oven for about 15
minutes. The babas should be nicely browned, and
slightly shrunk from the sides of the cups. Unmold
them onto a cake rack.

Babas au Rhum

[Rum Babas]

Both the babas and die rum syrup should be lukewarm but not hot before
this operation begins. If the babas are cold, heat them briefly in the oven; warm
the syrup if necessary, (note: Some audiorities use a stronger sugar syrup,
i / 2 cups of sugar to 2 of water. We prefer the lighter syrup given here.)

For 12 babas

The sugar syrup

2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
A i-quart saucepan
Z2 cup dark rum, more if
needed (Jamaican rum is
recommended)

Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Remove from
heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. When the
sugar syrup has cooled to lukewarm, stir in the rum;
you may add a few tablespoons more if you feel it
necessary.

_

BABAS AND SAVARINS

66l

The babas imbibe the syrup

12 barely warm cooked
babas, the preceding rec-
ipe

A dish 2 inches deep and
just large enough to hold
the babas easily
A skewer, trussing needle
or sharp-pronged fork
Optional: a bulb baster
A cake rack set over a tray

Arrange the barely warm babas in the dish, their
puffed tops up. Prick tops in several places, pour the
lukewarm syrup over them, and let stand for / 2 hour,
basting frequently with syrup. They should imbibe
enough syrup so they are moist and spongy but still
hold their shape. Drain on rack for l / 2 hour.

TO SERVE

Babas an Rkum, Classique
[Rum Babas ]

2 Tb dark rum
A pastry brush
V2 cup apricot glaze, page
593

12 glaceed cherries
A serving dish or frilled
paper cups

After the babas have drained, sprinkle the top of each
with a few drops of rum. Paint them with the apricot
glaze, and place a cherry on top of each. Arrange in
a serving dish or in paper cups.

Babas aux Fruits
[Rum Babas with Fruit]

A serving dish Arrange the babas in the serving dish. Surround them

3 to 4 cups blueberries or with the berries which have stood for 10 to 15 minutes
fresh strawberries in leftover baba syrup. Pass the cream separately.

Leftover baba syrup
2 to 3 cups creme Chan-
tilly, (lightly whipped
cream), page 580, flavored
with rum and powdered
sugar

662

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

* SAVARIN

\Savarin]

Large Savarin or Ring
Mold, 7 to 9 Inches in
Diameter. Small Savarin
Mold, 2'/4 to 4 Inches in
Diameter

The savarin uses the same paste or dough as the baba, but is baked in a
ring mold, and its sugar syrup is flavored with kirsch rather than rum. The
center is then filled with a cream or with fruits macerated in liqueur.

For 6 people

Filling the mold

i Tb softened butter
A 4- to 5-cup ring mold 2
inches deep

The master recipe for baba
paste, page 658

Butter the ring mold. Make the baba paste as di-
rected and let it rise in its bowl until doubled in bulk.
Deflate it by pressing it rapidly in several places with
the cupped fingers of one hand. Then break off a
2-tablespoon bit of the paste and press lightly into the
bottom of the mold. Continue rapidly with the rest
of the paste. The mold will be from a third to a half
filled. Do not bother to smooth the surface of the
paste; it will even out as it rises. Place uncovered in
a warm place, 80 to 100 degrees, for 1 to 2 hours or
until the paste has risen to fill the mold. Proceed at
once to the following step.

Baling the savarin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees in time for this step.

Aluminum foil Insert a cylinder of aluminum foil through the hole

A cake rack in the center of the mold; this will help the savarin

rise evenly in the oven. Place in the middle level of
the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. If top of
savarin browns too much during baking, cover lightly

BABAS AND SAVARINS

663

with aluminum foil. The savarin is done when it is
toasty brown and has begun to shrink a little from the
sides of the mold. Remove from oven and let cool for
5 minutes. Reverse rack over mold, reverse the two,
remove the mold. When savarin has cooled to tepid,
proceed to the following step.

(*) It may be baked a day or two in advance, then
heated briefly to tepid in a 300-degree oven.

The savarin imbibes the syrup

2 cups sugar syrup (rum
baba recipe), page 660,
but flavored with Vz cup
kirsch rather than rum
A skewer, trussing needle,
or sharp-pronged fork
A dish 2 inches deep and
just large enough to hold
the savarin easily
A bulb baster
A cake rack
A tray

While the savarin is baking, make the same sugar
syrup as that for the babas, but perfume it with kirsch
rather than rum. Let it cool to tepid. Prick the puffed
side of the barely warm savarin and place it puffed-
side down in the dish. Pour the tepid syrup over it
and allow to stand for / hour, basting frequently
with the syrup. The savarin should be moist and
spongy, but still hold its shape. Then tilt the dish
and pour out the remaining syrup (which may be
reserved for flavoring fruits). Turn the rack upside
down over the dish and reverse the dish onto the rack
to unmold the savarin. Set rack on tray and let the
savarin drain for about / hour.

A serving dish The savarin is now resting puffed-side up on the rack;

it is usually served puffed-side down. The safest way
to get it from the rack to the serving dish is to turn
the dish upside down over the savarin on the rack;
then reverse the rack onto the dish.

1 Tb kirsch Sprinkle the savarin with drops of kirsch before deco-

rating and filling as directed in one of the following
suggestions :

TO SERVE

Savarins are usually painted with a glaze into which are pressed designs
of almonds and glaceed fruits, or fresh strawberries or raspberries. The center
is filled with whipped cream, custard filling, or fruits. The following recipe
gives the general procedure for glazing, decorating, and filling; other sug-
gestions are listed after it.

664

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Savarin Chantilly
\Savarin with Whipped Cream]

The preceding savarin
% cup apricot glaze, page
593

A pastry brush
6 to 8 glaceed cherries
A piece of angelica
8 to 12 blanched almonds
2 cups creme Chantilly
(lightly whipped cream),
page 580, flavored with
powdered sugar and
kirsch

Paint the savarin with a light coating of apricot glaze.
Cut the cherries in half, and the angelica into small
diamond shapes. Press the fruits and almonds over
the savarin in a decorative design and paint a bit of
glaze over them. Fill the center of the savarin with
the cream just before serving.

OTHER FILLINGS

Instead of whipped cream, you may use a custard or fruit filling. In the
case of fruit fillings, decorate glazed savarin with the fruits you are using
rather than with almonds and glaceed fruits. Between i / 2 and 2 cups of cus-
tard filling are sufficient. If you are using fruits, you will probably want more;
fill the center of the savarin with them, and heap the rest around the outside.
The fruits are usually flavored with 3 to 4 Tb kirsch for 3 to 4 cups fruit, and
several tablespoons of sugar, if necessary (or use leftover imbibing syrup).

Frangipane, custard filling with almonds or macaroons, flavored with
vanilla and kirsch, page 591

Creme Saint-Honore , crime pdtissiirc with beaten egg whites, flavored
with vanilla and kirsch, page 591

Macedoine de Fruits, a mixture of cut-up fruits, such as cherries, pears,
apricots, pineapple, eidier fresh, poached in syrup as for the peches cardinal
on page 630, or canned. Let stand for / hour in kirsch, and sugar if necessary,
before using.

Fresh strawberries or raspberries, which have stood for / 2 hour with
sugar and kirsch

Cherries, poached in red wine syrup, as for the cherry tart on page 643

BABAS AND SAVARINS

665

VARIATION

Petits Savarins

[Small Savarins\

Small savarins are baked in the small molds illustrated at the beginning
of the savarin recipe; they range in diameter from 2% inches for tea parties
to 3 or 4 inches for individual dessert servings.

MOLDING, BAKING, AND SYRUPING
Proceed exactly as for the large savarin on page 662, but omit the alumi-
num-foil funnel, and bake for only 10 to 15 minutes. Saturate them with
kirsch-flavored syrup as directed for the large savarin. The proportions in the
recipe will furnish about 12 small savarins 2 14 inches in diameter or about 6
savarins 3 inches in diameter.

TO SERVE

You may paint small savarins with apricot glaze, page 593, decorate with
glaceed fruits cut into diamond shapes, and serve them as they are, or you may
fill them. If you fill them and do not intend to serve them on dessert plates, it
is best to set them on small rounds of baked sugar-crust dough, page 633. Paint
the rounds first with the apricot glaze, then glaze and decorate the savarins.
Use any of the fillings suggested for the large savarin in the preceding list.

LADYFINGERS

Biscuits a la Cuillcr

Biscuits a la cuiller are among the oldest of the French petits gdteaux sees.
Before pastry tubes were invented, the batter for ladyfingers was dropped ontc
baking sheets with a spoon, and this is how they acquired their French name.

Because store-bought ladyfingers are usually so dreadful in taste and
texture that they cannot be used in good cooking, it is useful to know how to
make your own. They can be made quickly when you become familiar with the
process and will keep at least 10 days in an airtight container or freeze per-
fectly. With homemade ladyfingers on hand, you will find many of the spec-
tacular desserts in the preceding pages not at all formidable. These include the
charlotte Chantilly on page 608, the charlotte Malakpff, on page 605, and the

666

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

diplomate on page 612. Then there are the easily assembled plombilres on
page 594, which consist of custard filling, beaten egg whites, and ladyfingers
dipped in liqueur. To serve ladyfingers with afternoon tea, you may hold them
together back to back with a bit of butter cream, page 680.

Ratter for ladyfingers is of the sponge-cake type, with egg yolks and sugar
beaten to a thick cream, then flour and stiffly beaten egg whites are folded in.
You must be particularly careful to obtain a batter which will hold its shape;
this means expert beating and folding. A batter that is too liquid will form
flat rather than rounded ladyfingers. Be sure to read the illustrated directions
on beating egg whites and folding which start on page 159.

BISCUITS A LA CUILLER

[Ladyfingers]

For 24 to 30 ladyfingers

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Two 12- by 24-inch baking
sheets

1 Tb softened butter

Flour

A pastry bag with a round
tube opening V2 inch in
diameter

1V2 cups powdered sugar in
a sieve or a shaker

Prepare the baking sheets: butter lightly, dust with
flour, and knock off excess flour. Assemble the pastry
bag. Prepare the powdered sugar. Measure out all the
rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe.

The batter

An electric beater or a wire
whip

Z2 cup granulated sugar
3 e gg yo'ks
1 tsp vanilla extract
A 3-quart mixing bowl

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks, add the
vanilla, and continue beating for several minutes until
the mixture is thick, pale yellow, and forms the rib-
bon, page 579.

3 e gg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate
bowl until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the
sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Direc-
tions are on page 159.)

LADYFINGERS

66 7

A rubber spatula Scoop one fourth of the egg whites over the top of

Vi cup sifted cake flour re- the egg yolks and sugar mixture. Sift on one fourth
turned to sifter of the flour, and delicately fold in until partially

blended. Then add one third of the remaining egg
whites, sift on one third of the remaining flour, fold
until partially blended, and repeat with half of each.
Do not attempt to blend the mixture too thoroughly
or you will deflate the batter; it must remain light
and puffy.

Forming the lady fingers

Scoop batter into pastry bag. Squeeze out even lines onto the prepared baking
sheets, making finger shapes 4 inches long and i l / 2 inches wide, spaced 1 inch apart.
Sprinkle with a % e-inch layer of powdered sugar. To dislodge some of the excess
sugar, hold baking sheet upside down and tap the back of it gently; the ladyfingers
will not budge unless you are rough with them.

Baking the ladyfingers

Bake in middle and upper third levels of preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
The ladyfingers are done when they are a very pale brown underneath their sugar
coating. They should be slightly crusty outside, and tender but dry inside. If they
are not baked enough, they will become soggy when they cool; overbaking makes
them dry. As soon as they are done, remove from baking sheets with a spatula and
cool on cake racks.

To serve

Ladyfingers may be served as they are, with tea or fruit desserts. Or you may
make double ladyfingers by sticking the two flat sides together with apricot glaze,
page 593, or one of the butter creams starting on page 680.

FIVE FRENCH CAKES

Cinq Gateaux

Here are five unusually good and typically French cakes. They are all
made in very much the same way, but as there are slight differences in mixing
and in how each should look in the oven, we give full recipes for all five. After
you have practiced with one or two, you will find that they all can be made
very quickly; any one of them may be prepared for die oven in about 20
minutes. An electric beater is a help in mixing the batters but is far from es-
sential, because a large wire whip does the work almost as quickly.

668

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

Before you begin the cake

Preheat the oven, prepare the cake pan as in the following directions,
and measure out all your ingredients. Then your batter may be prepared and
baked in one, continuous operation.

Preparing the cake pan

To prepare the pan for the cake batter, rub the entire inner surface with
a thin film of softened butter. Then roll flour around in the pan to cover the
sides and bottom; knock out excess flour by banging the pan, upside down,
on a hard surface. A light dusting of flour should adhere all over the inner
surface of the pan; this will make the cake easy to unmold (remove) after
baking.

Flour

Measure flour as accurately as possible; this is essential in cakemaking. Be
sure to read the illustrated directions for measuring flour on page 17.

Egg yolks, sugar, and butter

Directions for beating egg yolks and sugar until they “form the ribbon”
are on page 579. Directions for creaming butter and sugar are on page 581.
Egg whites

You will note that no baking powder is used in any of the cakes; their
lightness is due to the careful folding of perfectly beaten egg whites into the
batter. As this is one of the most important aspects of successful cakemaking,
be sure to read the illustrated directions on egg whites in the Entree chapter
starting on page 159.

Temperature

Oven temperature must be correct if the cake is to bake and rise as it
should. Check your thermostat with an oven thermometer.

Unmolding

After the cake is done, your recipe will usually direct you to let it sit in its
pan for a few minutes; it will settle, and shrink slightly from the sides of die
pan. Unmold the cake as follows: Run a thin knife between the cake and
the edge of the pan. Then, if you are using a one-piece pan, turn a cake rack
upside down over the pan, reverse the two, and give a short, sharp, downward
jerk to dislodge the cake onto the rack. For a false-bottomed pan, either use
the same general system, or set the pan over a jar to release the rim from the
false bottom; remove the cake from the false bottom to a rack with a spatula,
or reverse the cake onto a rack. [Directions in recipes refer to a one-piece pan.]

CAKES

669

Icings: A cake must be thoroughly cold before it is iced; if you ice a warm
or even a tepid cake with butter cream, the icing will soften and usually dribble
down the sides of the cake. Illustrated directions for filling and icing cakes are
in the pair of recipes beginning on page 672.

Storage: After any of the following cakes has been baked and thoroughly
cooled, but before it has been covered with icing, it may be stored for several
days in an airtight container, or may be securely wrapped and frozen. Cakes
iced with butter creams should be stored in the refrigerator.

BISCUIT AU BEURRE

[Butter Spongecake]

This fine, light spongecake may be served with a sprinkling of powdered
sugar, and goes well with tea, or with fruits. It is also delicious as a strawberry
shortcake. Or you may fill and decorate it as suggested at the end of the recipe.
For a 10-inch cake serving 10 to 12 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A round cake pan, 10 inches Butter and flour the cake pan, page 668. Measure out
in diameter and 2 inches the ingredients,
deep

4 Tb butter

A 3-quart mixing bowl
An electric beater or large
wire whip

% cup granulated sugar
4 e gg y° lk s
2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks, add the
vanilla, and continue beating for several minutes un-
til mixture is thick, pale yellow, and forms the rib-
bon, page 579.

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 Tb granulated sugar
A rubber spatula
1V4 cups sifted cake flour
returned to sifter

Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate
bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the
sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Direc-
tions are on page 159.) Scoop one fourth of the egg
whites over the top of the egg yolks and sugar mix-
ture. Sift on one fourth of the flour, and delicately
fold in until partially blended. Then add one third of
the remaining egg whites, sift on one third of the
remaining flour, fold until partially blended, and re-

670

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

peat with half of each, then die last of each and half
of the tepid, melted butter. When partially blended,
fold in the rest of the butter but omit the milky
residue at the bottom of the pan. Do not overmix;
the egg whites must retain as much volume as
possible.

Turn into prepared cake pan, tilting pan to run bat-
ter to the rim all around. Set in middle level of pre-
heated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake is
done when it has puffed, is lightly brown, and has
just begun to show a faint line of shrinkage from the
edges of the pan.

A cake rack Remove from oven and let stand in the pan for 6 to 8

minutes. It will sink slightly and shrink more from
the edges of the pan. Run a knife around the edge of
the pan, and reverse on cake rack, giving the pan a
sharp little jerk to dislodge the cake. If cake is not to
be iced, immediately reverse it so its puffed side is
uppermost. Allow to cool for an hour or so.

TO SERVE

Sucre Glace
[Powdered Sugar]

Shake powdered sugar over the cake.

Glagage a I’Abricot

[Apricot Glaze with Almonds or Glaceed Fruits]

A pastry brush
Z2 cup apricot glaze, page
593

1 cup pulverized almonds,
page 582

Z4 cup slivered almonds or
glaceed fruits

Follow the general procedure for icing a cake illus-
trated on page 674: Brush crumbs off top and sides
of cake, paint cake with apricot glaze. Brush almonds
against the sides and decorate top with slivered al-
monds or with glaceed fruits cut into dice or fancy
shapes.

CAKES

671

Glagage a la Creme on au Chocolat
[Butter-cream or Chocolate Icing]

The spongecake may be iced, or filled and iced. Follow the recipe for
orange-butter filling on page 672, or that for die orange butter-cream, page 674.
Or, using the same procedure, follow one of the recipes for butter cream start-
ing on page 680, or for the chocolate-butter icing on page 684.

GATEAU A u orange

[Orange Spongecake]

For a 9-inch cake serving 8 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A round cake pan 9 inches Butter and flour the cake pan, page 668. Measure out
in diameter and 1V2 inches the ingredients,
deep

A large wire whip or an
electric beater
2 /i cup granulated sugar

4 e gg y° lks

A 3-quart mixing bowl
The grated rind of 1 orange
Vs cup strained orange juice
Pinch of salt
1/4 cups sifted cake flour

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and con-
tinue beating until the mixture thickens to form the
ribbon, page 579. Add the grated orange peel, orange
juice, and salt. Beat for a moment or two until mix-
ture is light and foamy. Then beat in the flour.

4 e gg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate
bowl until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the
sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Direc-
tions are on page 159.) Stir one fourth of the egg
whites into the batter, delicately fold in the rest.

Immediately turn into prepared cake pan and run the
batter up to the rim all around. Bake in middle posi-
tion of preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake is
done when it has puffed and browned, and shows a
faint line of shrinkage from the edge of the mold.

6-J2

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

A cake rack Let cool for 6 to 8 minutes. Run a knife around the

edge of the pan and reverse cake on a rack. If not to
be iced, immediately reverse again, puffed side up. Al-
low to cool for an hour or two. When cake is cold,
sprinkle it with powdered sugar, or fill and ice the
cake according to one of the two following recipes:

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING AND ICING A CAKE
Gateau Fourre a la Creme d’ Orange
[Spongecake with Orange-butter Filling]

This orange-butter filling may be used for cakes, or as a filling for tartlets
or cookies. When softened butter is beaten into it, as described in the variation
at the end of the recipe, it may also serve as an icing.

For about 2 cups, enough to fill a 9- to 10-inch cake

The orange-butter filling

6 Tb unsalted butter
i 2 / cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

The grated rind of i orange
!4 cup strained orange juice
i Tb orange liqueur
A 6-cup enameled saucepan
A wire whip

Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Place all the ingredients at the left in the saucepan
and beat with wire whip over low heat or not-quite-
simmering water until mixture thickens like honey
and is too hot for your finger (160 to 163 degrees on
a candy thermometer). Do not overheat or the eggs
will scramble.

A pan of cold water Then set saucepan in cold water and beat for 3 to 4

minutes until filling is cool.

(*) May be refrigerated for 10 days, or may be frozen.

Filling the ca\e

A 9- to 10-inch cake: the
preceding orange sponge-
cake or the butter sponge-
cake on page 669
A long, sharp, tljin knifp

Cut a tiny vertical wedge up the edge of the cake;
this will guide you in re-forming it later. Slice the
cake in half horizontally.

CAKES

673

Splitting the cake
in half

Using a spatula, spread enough orange-butter filling
on the lower layer of the cake to make a {4-inch coat-
ing.

A flexible blade-spatula

674

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Decorating the cake with apricot glaze and almonds

A pastry brush
Vs cup apricot glaze, page
593

l cup pulverized almonds,
plain or toasted, page 582
A dish for the almonds
A cake platter
Optional: Z4 cup glazed
orange peel, page 587

Brush off any crumbs, and paint the cake with a coat-
ing of apricot glaze. When the glaze has set slightly,
brush the almonds against the sides of the cake; not
more than one fourth of them will adhere, but you
need a large amount for easy manipulation. Set the
cake on the platter; decorate top with optional orange
peel.

Hold ca/^e over almonds
and brush them against
sides with free hand

VARIATIONS

Creme au Beurre d VOrange

[Orange Butter-cream Icing]

For a richer filling, or for an icing, you may turn the preceding filling
into a creme au beurre, which resembles the butter cream on page 683. In the
following recipe, we have suggested that you use half the original orange-

CAKES 675

butter filling for inside the cake, and beat butter into the rest to make a butter-
cream icing.

For 1 cup filling and 2 cups icing, enough for a 9- to 10-inch cake

2 cups orange-butter filling,
the preceding recipe
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or an electric
beater

14 lb. (x stick) softened,
unsalted butter, 2 to 3 Tb
more if necessary

Use 1 cup of the filling to spread inside your cake as
described in the preceding recipe. Re-form the cake.
Place the rest of the filling in the mixing bowl and
gradually beat in the softened butter. The mixture
should thicken into a smooth, mayonnaiselike cream;
if it looks grainy, beat in more butter a tablespoon at
a time. Chill until firm but still of spreading consist-
ency.

(note: Be sure cake is thoroughly cold before you
begin this operation.)

Icing the cake

A flexible blade-spatula
A cake platter
Optional: 54 cup glazed

orange peel, page 587

Brush crumbs off cake. Hold the cake in the palm
of your hand as illustrated (or ice it on its serving
platter). Spread on the icing with the spatula, starting
at the top of the cake, and finishing with the sides.
Set the cake on the platter. Decorate, if you wish, with
pieces of glazed orange peel. Refrigerate the cake un-
til ready to serve.

( # ) Leftover butter cream may be refrigerated for
about a week, or may be frozen. Before using, let
warm at room temperature until it can be beaten into
spreading consistency.

Spread icing on top of
ca\c first, then smooth it
around sides

6 7 6

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Creme au Citron

[Lemon-butter Filling]

Creme au Beurre au Citron

[Lemon Butter-cream Icing]

Use the same method and proportions as in either of the two preceding
recipes, but substitute grated lemon rind and lemon juice for orange.

GATEAU A V ORANGE ET AUX AM ANDES

[Orange and Almond Spongecake]

This delicious cake may be served with a sprinkling of powdered sugar,
with a glazing of apricot, or with a filling and icing.

For a 9-inch cake serving 8 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

A round cake pan 9 inches Butter and flour the cake pan, page 668. Measure out
in diameter and 1 */2 inches all the ingredients,
deep

Va lb. butter

Melt the butter and set aside.

A wire whip or electric
beater

% cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks

A 3-quart mixing bowl
The grated rind of 1 orange
Vi cup strained orange juice
Va tsp almond extract
Va cup (4 ounces) pulverized
almonds, page 582
Va cup sifted cake flour

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and con-
tinue beating until mixture is thick, pale yellow and
forms the ribbon, page 579. Add the grated orange
rind, orange juice, and almond extract. Beat for a mo-
ment or two until mixture is light and foamy. Then
beat in the almonds, and finally the flour.

3 e gg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate
bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the
sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Direc-
tions are on page 159.)

CAKES

677

A rubber spatula Using a rubber spatula, fold the cool, melted butter

into the cake batter, omitting milky residue at bottom
of butter pan. Stir one fourth of the egg whites into
the batter, delicately fold in the rest.

Immediately turn into prepared cake pan and run the
batter up to the rim all around. Bake in middle level
of preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake is done
when it has puffed, browned lightly, top is springy
when pressed, and a needle plunged into the center
of the cake comes out clean.

A cake rack Remove from oven and let stand for about 10 min-

utes, until cake begins to shrink from sides of pan.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan and reverse
the cake onto the rack, giving it a small, sharp, down-
ward jerk to dislodge it from the pan. If it is not to be
iced, reverse the cake immediately so it will cool
puffed-side up. Allow to cool for an hour or two.

TO SERVE

Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or with apricot glaze and
almonds, page 674, or with the orange-butter filling or butter-cream icing de-
scribed for the orange sponge cake and starting on page 672.

RE1NE DE SABA

[Chocolate and Almond Cake]

This extremely good chocolate cake is baked so that its center remains
slightly underdone; overcooked, the cake loses its special creamy quality. It
is covered with a chocolate-butter icing, and decorated with almonds. Because
of its creamy center it needs no filling. It can be made in the same manner as
the preceding cakes, starting out with a beating of egg yolks and sugar, then
proceeding with the rest of the ingredients. But because the chocolate and the
almonds make a batter so stiff it is difficult to fold in the egg whites, we have
chosen another method, that of creaming together the butter and sugar, and
then incorporating the remaining items.

For an 8-inch cake serving 6 to 8 people

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

678

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

A round cake pan 8 inches
in diameter and 1V2 inches
deep

4 ounces or squares semi-
sweet chocolate melted
with 2 Tb rum or coffee

A 3-quart mixing bowl

A wooden spoon or an elec-
tric beater

Va lb. or 1 stick softened but-
ter

% cup granulated sugar

3 c gg yolks

3 e gg whites

Pinch of salt

1 Tb granulated sugar

A rubber spatula
Yi cup pulverized almonds,
page 582

Va tsp almond extract
Va cup sifted cake flour
returned to sifter

A cake rack

Butter and flour the cake pan, page 668. Melt the
chocolate over almost simmering water. Measure out
the rest of the ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugar together for several min-
utes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture,
page 581.

Beat in the egg yolks until well blended.

Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until
soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat
until stiff peaks are formed. (Directions are on page
T 59 -)

With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate
into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in the
almonds, and almond extract. Immediately stir in
one fourth of the beaten egg whites to lighten the
batter. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining
whites and when partially blended, sift on one third
of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly
with more egg whites and more flour until all egg
whites and flour are incorporated.

Turn the batter into the cake pan, pushing the batter
up to its rim with a rubber spatula. Bake in middle
level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Cake is
done when it has puffed, and 2/2 to 3 inches around
the circumference are set so that a needle plunged into
that area comes out clean; the center should move
slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out
oily.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a
knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake on
the rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two; it must
be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced.

CAKES

679

TO SERVE

Use the chocolate-butter icing on page 684, and press a design of almonds
over the icing.

LE MARQUIS

[Chocolate Spongecake]

For an 8-inch cake serving 6 to 8 people

A round cake pan 8 inches
in diameter and 1V2 inches
deep

3V2 ounces or squares of
semisweet baking choco-
late

2 Tb coffee

A small saucepan set over
almost simmering water

A wooden spoon

3V2 Tb softened butter

A wire whip or electric
beater

3 e gg y o l ks

A 3-quart mixing bowl

V2 cup granulated sugar

3 e gg whites

Pinch of salt

1 Tb granulated sugar

A rubber spatula
2 /i CU P sifted cake flour
returned to sifter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour the cake pan, page 668. Measure out
the ingredients.

Stir the chocolate and coffee in the saucepan over al-
most simmering water until chocolate is melted and
smooth. Off heat, beat in the butter by spoonfuls to
make a creamy mass. Let cool to tepid while proceed-
ing with recipe.

Beat the egg yolks in the mixing bowl, gradually add-
ing the sugar, until mixture is thick, pale yellow and
forms the ribbon, page 579.

Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate
bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the
sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Direc-
tions are on page 159.)

Fold the tepid chocolate and butter into the batter,
then fold in one fourth of the egg whites. When
partially blended, sift on one fourth of the flour and
continue folding, alternating rapidly with more egg
whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour
are incorporated.

68o

CHAPTER ten: DESSERTS AND CAKES

Immediately turn into prepared cake pan and run
the batter up to the rim all around. Bake in middle
level of preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Cake
will puff about % inch above rim of pan and top will
crack. It is done when a needle or straw, plunged into
the center of the cake, comes out clean.

A cake rack Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Cake will sink slightly and top will wrinkle. Run a
knife around inside of tin, and reverse cake on rack.
Allow to cool for about 2 hours; it must be thoroughly
cold if it is to be iced.

To serve

You may serve the cake with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, fill and
ice it with one of the following butter creams, or fill with butter cream and
cover with the chocolate-butter icing on page 684. Illustrated directions for
filling and icing a cake begin on page 67 2.

THREE BUTTER CREAMS

Trois Cremes aux Beurre

Butter creams consist of egg yolks, sugar, butter, and flavoring which are
beaten together into a creamy mass of spreading consistency. There are half
a dozen ways of arriving at them; one is the orange butter-cream on page 674.
Here are three more recipes. The first of these is quick and easy but always
slightly grainy, because the sugar never completely dissolves. The second is
made with sugar syrup in which egg yolks are poached before the butter is
beaten in; it makes a fairly firm cream good in hot weather. Custard sauce
and butter make up the third cream, which is lighter in texture than the other
two and better in cold weather than in hot. Any of these butter creams may
be used both as fillings and as icings.

AMOUNTS NEEDED

For both filling and icing a cake, you will need approximately the follow-
ing amounts:

For an 8-inch cake, i/ 2 cups

For a 9-inch cake, 2 cups

For a iQ-inch cake, 2% cups

ICINGS AND FILLINGS

68 1

STORAGE AND LEFTOVERS

Butter creams may be refrigerated for several days, or frozen for several
weeks. To use again, allow the cream to warm at room temperature until it
can be beaten into spreading consistency. If it begins to separate or turn grainy,
beat in a tablespoon or two of tepid, unsalted, melted butter.

FILLING AND ICING

Illustrated directions for filling and icing cakes are in the pair of recipes
starting on page 672.

CREME AU BEURRE, MENAGERE

[Butter Cream I— with powdered sugar]

This should be made with an electric beater; it is heavy work by hand.
For about 1 V2 cups

A 2l4-quart mixing bowl

2 egg yolks

% cup sifted powdered
sugar

2 Tb kirsch, rum, orange
liqueur, or strong coffee,
OR, 1 Tb vanilla extract,
OR, 2 ounces (2 squares)
melted, semisweet, baking
chocolate

6 ounces (1Z2 sticks) soft-
ened, unsalted butter

An electric beater (or a wire
whip)

Rinse the bowl in hot water, dry it, and place in it all
the ingredients listed. Beat at a moderate speed for
about 5 minutes to obtain a smooth cream. Chill un-
til the cream is cold but still malleable, then fill and
ice your cake.

CREME AU BEURRE, AU SUCRE CU 1 T

[Butter Cream II — with sugar syrup]

You may use either a wire whip or an electric beater for most of the steps
in this recipe. We find, however, that a large balloon whip, such as diat illus-

682

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

trated for beating egg whites on page 159, is the quickest and most effective
instrument for the beating of egg yolks and sugar syrup step.

For about 2 cups

Preliminaries

A wooden spoon or an elec-
tric beater

A 2>/2-quart mixing bowl
V2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted
butter

Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. (Direc-
tions are on page 100.) Set aside.

5 e gg yolks, OR, 1 egg and
3 yolks

A 216 -quart mixing bowl
A large wire whip (or an
electric beater)

Place the egg yolks (or egg and yolks) in the bowl
and beat a few seconds to blend thoroughly. Set aside.

T he sugar syrup

% cup granulated sugar
3 Tb water

A small, heavy saucepan
Optional: a candy ther-
mometer

Boil the sugar and water in the saucepan, shaking pan
frequently, until the sugar has reached the soft ball
stage (236 to 238 degrees on candy thermometer).

Beating the egg yoll{s with the syrup

At once beat the boiling syrup in a stream of droplets
into the egg yolks, using your wire whip (or electric
beater) .

A pan of not-quite-simmer-
ing water, large enough to
hold the bowl
A basin of cold water

Set the mixing bowl in the pan of not-quite-simmer-
ing water, on the stove, and continue beating the yolk
and sugar mixture at a moderate speed, lifting in as
much air as possible. In 4 to 5 minutes the mixture
will be light, foamy, doubled in bulk, and feel very
hot to your finger. When this stage is reached, set the
bowl in cold water and continue beating for several
minutes until mixture has cooled to tepid, and when
a bit is lifted, it falls back forming a slowly dissolving
ribbon on the surface of the mixture.

Combining with the butter

A wooden spatula or spoon,
or an electric beater

Then beat the egg mixture by spoonfuls into the bowl
of creamed butter. Beat in the flavoring. The creme

ICINGS AND FILLINGS

683

2 to 3 Tb kirsch, rum, or-
ange liqueur, or strong
coffee, OR, 1 Tb vanilla
extract, OR, 2 ounces (2
squares) melted, semi-
sweet, baking chocolate
2 to 4 Tb softened, unsalted
butter, if needed

au beurre should be a smooth, homogeneous, creamy
mass. If it looks grainy or has a tendency to separate,
beat in softened butter by tablespoons. Chill until
cold but still malleable, then fill and frost your cake.

CREME AU BEURRE, A L’ANGLAISE

[Butter Cream III— with custard base]

This final recipe is simpler to make than the preceding one with its sugar
syrup and its poaching of egg yolks. The custard base here is that most familiar
of custard sauces, crime anglaise which, when cooled, receives the butter.

For about 2V2 cups

The creme anglaise {custard sauce)

A wire whip or electric
beater

Vi cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks

A 2'/2-quart mixing bowl
Z2 cup boiling milk
A i-quart, heavy-bottomed,
enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy ther-

mometer

A basin of cold water
A sieve

Following the general procedure in the master recipe
for creme anglaise on page 588, gradually beat the
sugar into the egg yolks in the bowl until mixture is
thick, pale yellow, and forms the ribbon. Then beat
in the boiling milk by droplets. Pour into saucepan
and stir with wooden spoon over moderately low
heat until mixture thickens enough to coat spoon with
a light cream (165 degrees on candy thermometer).
At once set saucepan in cold water and beat until cus-
tard has cooled to barely tepid. Rinse out mixing bowl
and strain custard back into it.

Beating in the butter

A wire whip or electric
beater

Z2 lb. (2 sticks) softened, un-
salted butter, more if
needed

2 to 3 Tb kirsch, rum, or-
ange liqueur, or strong

Beat the softened butter into the barely tepid custard
by spoonfuls, using whip or beater. Beat in the fla-
voring. If cream looks grainy or has a tendency to
curdle, beat in more softened butter by tablespoons.
Cream should be smooth, thick, and homogeneous.
Chill until cold but still malleable, then fill and ice
your cake.

684

CHAPTER TEN: DESSERTS AND CAKES

coffee, OR, i Tb vanilla
extract OR, 2 ounces (2
squares) melted, semi-
sweet, baking chocolate

CHOCOLATE ICING

Glaqage au Chocolat

This simple chocolate icing is butter beaten into melted chocolate, and
forms a tender coating over a white or chocolate cake, or over a thoroughly
chilled butter-cream icing.

GLACAGE AU CHOCOLAT

[Chocolate-butter Icing]

For an 8-incb cake

A wooden spoon
1 ounce (1 square) semi-
sweet baiting chocolate
x Tb rum or coffee
A small saucepan set over
not-quite-simmering wa-
ter

3 Tb unsalted butter
A bowl of cold water
A small, flexible blade-
spatula, or a table knife

Stir the chocolate and rum or coffee in the saucepan
over the hot water until chocolate has melted into a
very smooth cream. Remove saucepan from hot water,
and beat the butter into the chocolate, a tablespoon at
a time. Then beat over cold water until chocolate mix-
ture is cool and of spreading consistency. At once
spread it over your cake with the spatula or knife.

INDEX

A

ABRICOT, 593
Glafage a 1 ', 670
Agneau et Mouton,
328-50

Blanquette, 348
Civet, 347
Daube, 348
Fricadelles, 348
Gigot ou Epaule d'
a l'Anglaise, 34 2
Braise aux Haricots,
338

en Chevreuil, 341
Farci, 335
a la Moutarde, 335
Roti, 332
Moussaka, 349
Navarin Printanier, 345
Pilaf a la Catalane, 348
Ahead-of-time Cooking:
Symbol (*) in Recipes
A'iGO Bou'iDO, 46
Almond ( s )

General Information
to Blanch, 582
to Caramelize, 583
Extract of, 582
to Pulverize, 582
to Toast, 582
Weight Equivalents,
582

Butter, Orange Flavoring,
651
Cake

with Chocolate Flavor-
ing, 677

with Orange Flavor-
ing, 676

Almond (s) ( continued )
Caramelized see Index:
Pralin

Custard Filling, 591
with Crepes, 652
with Pear Tart, 642
with Savarins, 664
Dessert Creams
Bavarian, 599
Custard, Chocolate
Flavor, 608
Malakoffs

with Chocolate, 607
with Raspberries,
607

with Strawberries,
605

Plombieres (Custard),
594

in Souffle, 617, 618, 622
Tart, Lemon Flavoring,
646

Aluminum Pots, Pans,
etc., 3

Amuse-gueules au
Roquefort, 196
Anchovy (ies)

Butter, 1 01
Gratin with Potatoes
and Onions, 154
and Spinach, 474
and Tomatoes, 525
Quiche with Tomatoes,
148

in Salad Ni?oise, 542
Sauce, 66

for Beef Stew, 324
Stuffing with Salmon
(Lamb), 338
Tart with Onions, 1 5 1

ANGELICA see Glaceed
Fruit, 17

Anglaise, Creme, 588
Appetizers, 196-206
General Information
Bread Rounds and
Cases, 199-200
Spreads and Fillings
for, 201-3

Tartlet Shells for, 200
Camembert Biscuits, 198
Cheese
Puffs, 181
Wafers, 197
Potato Cheese Sticks, 198
Roquefort Cheese
Balls, 196
Biscuits, 197
Spinach and Cheese Can-
apes, 472
Turnovers, 204
APPLE(S)

General Information
Weight Equivalents,

21

Aspic of, 627
Braised with Orange
Sauce, 628
Charlotte, 623
Filling for Crepes, 653
Flan, 657
Gratin of, 626
Stuffing with Sausage
(Duck), 275
Tart, 635

with Custard, 637
Upside-down, 638
Applesauce Caramel
Mold, 624

Al'RICOT(S)

General Information
Glaze, 593
for Cakes, 670
to Poach, 654
Preserves of, Strained,
593

Bavarian Cream, 600
Tart, 639; see also Varia-
tions, 640, 641
Arroser (to Baste), n
Arrowroot Thickening
for Brown Sauce, 70
for Orange Sauce
(Duck), 276
Artichauts, 423-8
Braises a la Proven?ale,
426

au Naturel, 424
Printanier, 427
Artichauts, Fonds de,
428-34
a Blanc, 430
au Beurre, 431
a la Creme, 432
au Gratin, 433
a la Grecque, 538
Mirepoix, 432
Mornay, 433
Quartiers de, au Beurre,
43 i

Artichoke ( s), 423-8
General Information,
423-6
to Eat, 425
Preparation of, 423-4
Sauces for, 426
to Serve, 425
Boiled, 424
Braised, 426—7
Artichoke Hearts or
Bottoms, 428-34
General Information,
428-30

Preparation of, 428-
30

Master Recipes

Preliminary Cooking,
430

Frozen, 434
Buttered

Quartered, 431
Whole, 431

with Carrots and Mush-
rooms, 478

Artichoke Hearts or
BOTTOMS ( continued )
Cold, 577
a la Grecque, 538
Creamed, 432
with Diced Vegetables,
432

and Eggs

Baked see Suggestions,
125

Poached, 118; see also
Other Ideas, 120
with Filet Steaks, 298-9
Gratineed, 433
Stuffed, au Gratin, 433
ASPERGES, 434-41
Nature, 436
Pointes d’, 438
Timbale d’, 440
Asparagus, 434-41
General Information,
434-6

Peeling and Tying of,
435-6

Sauces for, 437-8
Master Recipes
Boiled, 436
Frozen, 439
Cold, 437
Custard Mold, 440
Timbales see Variations,
175

Tips, 438

with Eggs see Sugges-
tions, 123

Aspics and Molds
General Information,
544-6

Decorative Elements
for, 546

Jellied Stocks for,
112-14

to Line a Mold with
Aspic, 558
for Pates and Ter-
rines, 565

Sauce Chaud-froid for,
55 i, 563

to Unmold an Aspic,
559

Apple Aspic, 627
Aspic de Pommes, 627
Boeuf Mode en Gelee,
556

Braised Beef in Aspic,
556

APRICOT(S) - BACON

Aspics and Molds
( continued )

Chicken

Breasts in Chaud-
froid, 551

Livers in Aspic, 548
in Tarragon Aspic,
549

Crab

in Aspic, 549
in Chaud-froid, 553
Crabe

en Aspic, 549
en Chaud-froid, 553
Crevettes en Aspic, 549
Eggs in Aspic, 547
Foies de Volaille en As-
pic, 548

Fowl in Lemon Jelly, 554
Homard

en Aspic, 549
en Chaud-froid, 553
Lobster

in Aspic, 549
in Chaud-froid, 553
Mousses, 558-64
Oeufs en Gelee, 547
Poulet en Gelee a l'Estra-
gon, 549

Shrimp in Aspic, 549
Supremes de Volaille en
Chaud-froid, 551—3
Volailles en Escabeche,
554

Aubergines
Farcies Duxelles, 501
a la Grecque, 539

B

Babas, 658-61

General Information,
658

Baking of, 660
Mold for, 66 o
Paste for, 658
Syrup for, 660
aux Fruits, 661
au Rhum, 661
Rum, 661

with Berries, 661
Bacon

General Information, 15
Blanching of, 1 5
Weight Equivalents,
21

BAKING DISHES -BEEF

111

Baking Dishes, 5
Banana Tart see Varia-
tions, 641

Barde de Lard see Pork
Fat, 564

Baste, to (Definition of),

1 1

Batter

for Dessert Crepes, 649-
50

for Entree Crepes, 191
Batterie de Cuisine, 3-
10

Bavarian Creams, 596-
60 1

Almond, 599
Apricot, 600
Chocolate, 599
Orange, 596
with Rice and Fruits, 601
Strawberry or Raspberry,
600

Bavarois, 596-601
au Chocolat, 599
aux Fruits, 600
a l'Orange, 596
Praline, 599

Bay LEAVES (American,
French), 18
BEANS

Dry White

General Information
to Boil, 401
to Pressure Cook,
400

Baked (Cassoulet),

401

with Lamb, 338; see
also Variations, 347
Green or String, 442-7
General Information,
442

Master Recipes
Blanching (Pre-
cooking), 443
Frozen, 449
Buttered, 444
Cold, 443

in Salad Nigoise,
542

Creamed, 445
Gratineed with Cheese,
446

with Tomatoes, 447

Beans ( continued )

Wax or Yellow Pod
Braised, 448
Frozen, 449

Bearnaise Sauce, 84;
see also Index: Sauce
Bearnaise
Beating

Definition of, 1 1
of Egg Whites, 159-60
of Egg Yolks and Sugar,
579

of Sugar and Butter, 581
Beater see Index: Electric
Beater

Bechamel Sauce, 57
Beef, 288-328

General Information,

288-9
Cuts for

Boiling, 3°7
Braising, 310
Filet Steaks, 290-1
Hamburger, 301
Steaks, 289-91, 293
Stews, 314
Grades of, 288-9
Marinades for
Braised Beef, 310
Filet, 306
Stews, 322-3
Vegetables and Wines
for

Boiled Beef, 3°7
Braised Beef, 310
Steaks, 291-2
Boiled Beef, 306
Bottom Round
Boiled, 306
Braised, 310
in Stews, 315
Brains, 408-9, 413-16;

see also Index: Brains
Braised Beef, 309-14
General Information,
309-10

Master Recipe, 309
Cold, in Aspic, 556
Minced, in Beef Shell,
3i3

in Salad, 543
see also Index: Beef,
Filet of; Beef, Stews
Brisket, Boiled, 307
Casseroles see Index:
Beef, Stews

Beef ( continued )

Chuck Pot Roast
Boiled, 307
Braised, 310
in Stews, 3x4
Cold

in Aspic (Boeuf
Mode), 556
Casserole, 322, 324
in Salad, 543
Eye of Round, Braised,
310

Filet of, 303-06; illus.,

290

General Information,
290—1

Braised and Stuffed,
303

Sautes of, 325-8
Filet Steaks (Tourne-
dos), 296-300; illus.,

291

General Information,
296

Preparation of,
296-7

Master Recipe, 297
with Artichoke Hearts
and Bearnaise Sauce,
298

and Foie Gras, 299
Fricassees see Index:

Beef, Stews

Ground (Hamburgers),
300-3

General Information,
300-1

Master Recipe, 301
Sauces and Variations,
302-3

Knuckle see Index: Beef,
Sirloin Tip
Marrow

Preparation of, 19
Sauces with, 294, 295
Pot Roast (Braised
Beef), 309
Rolls of, Stuffed, 318
Rump Pot Roast
Boiled, 307
Braised, 310
in Stews, 314
Sautes (Beef Filet),
325-8

with Cream and Mush
rooms, 325

IV

BEEF - BOUILLON

Beef ( continued )

Sautes (Beef Filet)

( continued )
with Red Wine Sauce,
326

with Tomatoes and
Herbs, 327

Shell of Braised Beef,
313

Sirloin Tip or Knuckle
Boiled, 307
Braised, 310
in Stews, 314
Steaks (Pan-broiled),
292-6

General Information,
289-93

Amount to Buy, 293
Preparation of, 293
Master Recipe, 292
Pepper Steak, 296
Sauces and Butters for,
294-5

see also Index: Beef,
Filet Steaks
Stews, 314—25

General Information,

314-15
Timing of, 315
with Onions and Beer,
317

in Red Wine (Bour-
guignon), 315
with Rice and Toma-
toes, 321

Stuffed Beef Rolls, 318
with Vegetables
(Daubes), 322,

324

see also Index: Beef,
Sautes

Stock, 107—10
Stroganoff (Beef Saute),

325

Top Round
Braised, 310
in Stews, 314
Beer in Beef and Onion
Stew, 317

Beet and Rice Salad,
543

Beurre(s)
d’Ail, 101
d’Anchois, 101
Bercy, 103
Blanc, 96

Beurre(s) ( continued )
au Citron, 98
Colbert, 102
Composes, 99-105
de Crustaces, 104
pour Escargots, 103
d'Estragon, 102
de Fines Herbes, 102
Maitre d’Hotei, 102
Manie, 58, 65, 265
Marchand de Vi ns, 103
Montpellier, 90
de Moutarde, xoo
Nantais, 96
Noir (Noisette), 98
a l'Oeuf, xoi
en Pommade, 100
Bifteck, 291, 292-5
Biscuit

au Beurre, 669
a la Cuiller, 665
Biscuits, Cheese, 196-8
Bitokes a la Russe, 302
Black Butter Sauce, 98
Blackberry Flan, 657
Blanc, for Artichoke Bot-
toms, 430
Blanch, to

General Information, 11
Bacon, 15

Brains and Sweetbreads,
409

Green Vegetables

General Information,
421

Brussels Sprouts, 450
Green Beans, 443
Spinach, 468
Turnips, 486

Blanchir (to Blanch), 11
Blanquette
d'Agneau, 348
de Veau, 362

Blend, to (Definition of),
1 1

Blender see Index: Elec-
tric Blender
Blueberry (ies)

Flan, 657

and Rum Babas, 66 1
Boeuf, 288-328
Ballotines de, 318
Bifteck Hache, 300-3
Bitoks a la Russe, 302
a la Lyonnaise, 301

Boeuf ( continued )

Bifteck Saute, 292-6
Bearnaise, 295
Bercy, 294
au Beurre, 292
a la Bordelaise, 295
Marchand de Vins,
295

Steak au Poivre, 296
Bouilli

Pot au Feu, 306
Potee Normande, 306
Bourguignon, 315
Braise, 309-14
a la Cuillere, 313
Carbonnades a la Fla-
mande, 317
a la Catalane, 321
Daube de, 322
a la Provenjale, 324
Estouffade de, 322
Filet de, Prince Albert,

303

a la Mode, 309
en Gelee, 556
Paupiettes de, 318
Ragouts de, 314—25
Roulades de, 318
Salade de, a la Parisienne,
543

Saute de, 325-8

a la Bourguignonne,
326

a la Parisienne, 325
a la Provenjale, 327
Terrine de, 322
Tournedos de, 296-300
aux Champignons, 297
Chasseur, 297
Henri IV, 298
Rossini, 299

Boil, to (Definition of),
ii

Boning of
Chicken Breasts, 267
Duck or Fowl, 570
Leg of Lamb, 329

Bouchees Parmentier
au Fromage, 198

Bouillabaisse, 52
Fish for, 50

Bouilli (for Souffles),
614, 619

BOUILLIR (to Boil), II

Bouillon see Index:
Stocks

BOUQUET GARNI -CAKE FILLINGS AND FROSTINGS

brtissris Sprouts, 449- l Butter ( s) (Cold Fla-

Bouquet Garni, 18
BRAINS (Calf, Lamb, etc.),
408-9, 413-16
General Information,

408-9, 413
Blanching of, 4°9
Soaking and Peeling,
408

Braised, 415
Cold, 577
Gratin of, 157
in Red Wine, 415
Sauteed

Brown Butter Sauce,
413

Other Sauces for, 415
Souffle, 173; tee also
Variations, 167
BRAISE, TO (Definition
of), 11

Braiser (to Braise), 11
Brandy

for Cooking, 32
Sauce for Pepper Steak,
296
Bread

Cases, Preparation of,

200

Crumb (s)

Electric Blender for
Making of see
Chicken, 266
and Mustard Coating
for

Chicken, 265
Hot-house Lamb,

328

Liver, 407
Weight Equivalents,
21

Hard-toasted ( Croutes ) ,
44

Rounds (Canapes), 199
Breasts OF Chicken see
Index: Chicken, Breasts
British

Measures, 20—1
Oven Temperatures, 25
Broccoli, 455-6
Brown

Butter Sauce, 98; see also
Index: Sauce, Butter
Sauce, 66-71; see also
Index: Sauce, Brown
Stock, no

General Information,
449-50
Master Recipes

Blanching of (Pre-
cooking), 450
Frozen, 454
Braised

in Butter, 451
with Chestnuts, 452
Browned with Cheese,
453

Chopped, with Cream,
453

Creamed, 452
Custard Mold, 454
Gratineed with Cheese
Sauce, 453
Butter

General Information
American and French,

15

Clarified, 15
Creaming of, 100
Heating of (Foam),

16

for Sauce Enrichments,
58

and Sugar (Creaming
of), 581

Unsalted or Sweet, 15
Weights and Measures,
22

Creams (Cake Filling),
680—4
and Flour

Paste (Sauce Thick-
ener), 58, 64, 265
Roux (Sauce Thick-
ener)

for Brown Sauces,

68

for White Sauces,
56

Sauces see Index:

Sauce, Butter
Butter (S) (Cold Fla-
vored), 99-105
General Information,
99—100
Anchovy, 101
Egg Yolk, 101
Garlic, 10 1

and Herbs (Snail But-
ter), 103

vored ) ( continued )

on Broiled Mush-
rooms, 512
on Mussels, 228
for Hamburgers, 302
Herb (Tarragon, etc.),
102

on Shirred Eggs, 123
for Liver, 406
Mustard, 100
Orange (for Crepes),
650

and Almond, 651
Shallot

and Red Wine, 103
and White Wine, 103
Shellfish, 104
for Steaks, 294

C

Cabbage

with Roast Pork, 383
Soup, 48

Weight Equivalents, 22
Cabbage, Red

Master Recipe (Braised),
496

with Chestnuts, 496
with Duck, 280
with Pork, 384

Chops see Varia-
tions, 389

Cabinet Pudding, 612
Cake Fillings and
Frostings
General Information,
680-1

Amounts Needed,

680

Illustrated Directions,

672-5

Storage and Leftovers,

681

Apricot Glaze, 593
to Use, 670

Butter Creams ( Choco-
late, Kirsch, Rum,
etc.), 680-4
Chocolate Icing, 684

CAKE FILLINGS AND FROSTINGS — CELERI-RAVE

tfi

Cake Fillings and
Frostings ( continued. )
Lemon

Butter-cream Icing,

676

Butter Filling, 67 6
Orange

Butter-cream Icing,
674

Butter Filling, 672
Cake Pan for Tart Shells,
M3

Cake(s), 667-80
General Information,
667-9

Pans, Preparation of,

668

Storage of, 669
Unmolding of, 668
Butter Spongecake, 669
Chocolate

and Almond Cake,

677

Spongecake, 679
Orange

and Almond Sponge-
cake, 676
Spongecake, 671
Calf's

Brains, 408-9, 413-16;

see also Index: Brains
Feet for Jellied Stocks,
113

Liver, 405-7
Camembert see Index:
Cheese
Canapes

Liver, for Roast Birds,
247

Preparation of, 199
Spinach and Cheese, 472
Canard et Caneton,
272-281
a la Badoise, 280
Braise

avec Choucroute, 280
aux Choux Rouges,
280

aux Marrons, 281
aux Cerises, 278
en Croute, 571
Montmorency, 278
a l'Orange, 276
aux Peches, 279
Poele aux Navets, 279

Canard et Caneton
( continued )

Rod, 274

a l'Alsacienne, 275
Candied Fruits, 17
Caneton see Index: Ca-
nard

Canned Goods see Index:
Peas, Canned; Stock,
Canned; etc.

Caper Sauce, 65; see also
Brown Butter Sauce, 98
Capon, Caponette (de-
scribed), 235
Casserole Roasted, 249
Caramel, 583
Almond Cream ( Plom-
bieres), 594
Coloring for Orange
Sauce, 277
Custards, 610-11
to Line a Mold with, 584
Syrup, 584

Caramelized Almonds,
583

Carbonnades a la
Flamande, 317
Carottes, 476-80
a la Concierge, 480
a la Creme, 478
Etuvees au Beurre, 477
aux Fines Herbes, 477
a la Foresdere, 478
Glacees, 479
Vichy, 479
Carrots, 476-80
General Information,
476-7

Cutting and Slicing,
28-9

Weight Equivalents,

22

Master Recipe (Braised),
477

with Artichoke Hearts,
478

Creamed, 478

with Onions and Gar-
lic, 480
Glazed, 479
with Herbs, 477
Vichy, 479

Casserole Dishes, Sug-
gestions for
Braised
Beef, 309

Casserole Dishes, Sug-
gestions for ( continued )
Braised ( continued )
Lamb, 338
Red Cabbage, 496
Sauerkraut, 498
Cassoulet, 399
Chicken Fricassees, 258-
65

Eggplant

and Lamb Mold, 349
and Tomato Casserole,
503

Gratins, 153—7
Potato and Spinach,
474

Piperade, 137
Quiches, 146-53
Scalloped Potatoes, 523-
6

Stews

Beef, 314-25
Lamb, 344-8
Pork, 389
Veal, 359-64
Sweetbreads au Gratin,
157

Turnip and Bacon Cas-
serole, 488
Veal Gratineed, 355
Casserole Roasting see
Index: Chicken; Veal etc.
Casseroles see Pots and
Pans, 3

Cassoulet, 399
Cauliflower, 456-61
General Information,
456-7

Molding of (Re-form-
ing). 458

Preparation of, 456
Sauces (or, 458
Master Recipe ( Blanch-
ing: Precooking), 457
Custard Mold, 461
au Gratin with Cheese,

459

and Tomatoes, 459
Puree with Watercress,

460
Celeri

Braise, 491
a la Grecque, 538
Celeri-rave
Braise, 492
Remoulade, 540

CELERIAC - CHICKEN

Vll

Celeriac see Index: Celery
Root
Celery

General Information
(Weight Equiva-
lents), 22
Braised, 491
Cold, 578

a la Grecque, 538
Root

Braised, 492
Cold, Mustard Sauce,
540

Centigrade - Fahrenheit
Conversions, 24-5
Cervelles, 408-9, 413-
16

au Beurre Noir, 413
Braisees, 415
en Matelote, 4x5
Chafing Dish for
C repes Suzette, 650
Kidneys, 417, 418
Champagnes, Types to
Serve, 34

Champignons, 508-17
a Blanc, 511
Duxelles, 515
Farcis, 516
Fumet de, 512
a la Grecque, 537
Grilles, 512
Sautes, 513-15
au Beurre, 513
a la Bordelaise, 513
a la Creme, 514
Sauce Madere, 515
Chantilly (Whipped
Cream) , 580

Charlotte Mold, illus.,
162

Charlotte ( s)

Basque, 608
Chantilly

aux Fraises, 608
aux Framboises, 608
Malakoff

au Chocolat, 607
aux Fraises, 605
aux Framboises, 607
aux Pommes, 623
Chateaubriand, 291
CHAUD-froid see Index:
Sauce Chaud-froid
Chaussons au Roque-
fort, 204

Cheese

General Information, 16
Graters for, 9
Weight Equivalents,

22

Biscuits or Wafers,

196-8
Camembert
Biscuits, 198
Quiche, 148
Cream Cheese

and Mushroom Filling
(Crepes), 194
Tart for Dessert, 647,
648
Fillings

for Appetizers, 201-2
for Crepes, 194
Parmesan Coating for
Chicken Breasts, 271
Puffs, 181
Quiches, 147-8
Roquefort
Biscuits, 197
Cheese Balls, 196
Quiche, 148
Turnovers, 204
Sauce

Mornay, 61
with Wine and Gar-
lic, 1 18
Souffle

Classic, 163
Egg Whites (no
Yolks), 173
Unmolded, 17 1
Sticks, 198
Swiss (Gruyere, etc.)
Filling for Appetizers,
201

Quiche, 147
Sauce, 61

Souffle, 163, 171, 173
Wafers, 197
Cherries

with Duck, 278
Poached in Wine, 643
Cherry

Filling for Savarins, 664
Flans, 655. 656, 658
Tart, Flambee, 643
Chestnut ( s), 517-20
General Information,
517-18

Amount to buy, 5x8
Peeling of, 518

Chestnut (s) ( continued )
General Information
( continued )

Serving Suggestions,
518

Braised, 519

with Brussels Sprout?.
452

with Red Cabbage,
496

Puree of, 518
and Sausage Stuffing
(Goose), 286
Chicken, 234-87
General Information,
234-40
to Bone

Chicken Breasts,

267

Whole Chicken,

570

Defrosting of, 235
Disjointing of, 254
Preparation of, 236
Stock

Brown, 236
White, 237
Stuffings for

Herb and Giblet,
243

Mushroom, 251
Timetable for Roast-
ing, 239-40
to Truss, 237-9
Types of (American
and French), 234
Vegetables and Wines
for, 240-1

Boiled in Pot au Feu,
306

Breast of Chicken,

267-71

General Information,
267

Preparation of, 26
Cold in Chaud-froid,
551-3

Poached in Butter,
268-70

with Cream Sauce,

268

with Diced Veget:
bles, 269
with Mushrooms,

269

with Paprika, 268

vm

CHICKEN - CONCOMBKES

Chicken ( continued )
Breast of Chicken ( con-
tinued)

Sauteed in Butter,
270—1

Cheese Coating for,
271

Sauces for

Brown Butter,
270

Deglazing, 271
Truffle, 271
Broiled with Mustard,

265

Casserole Roast, 249-53
with Tarragon, 249
with Vegetables, 252
Cold

in Lemon Jelly, 554
List of, 576
in Tarragon Aspic,

549

Coq au Vin, 263
Filling for Appetizers,

203

Fricassees, 258-65
General Information,
258

Chicken Types, 258
Timing, 258
Master Recipe (Wine
Sauce), 258
with Curry, 261
Fondue with Cream,
262

with Paprika, 262
in Red Wine, 263
with Tarragon, 262
Leftover

in Cream Filling, 203
Gratin of, 157
Liver see Index: Liver,
Chicken
Mousse of, 560
Quenelles of, 189
Roast, 240—9
Master Recipes
Oven Roasting, 240
Spit Roasting, 242
Basted with Cream,

243

with Port Wine and
Mushrooms, 245
with Stuffings, 243,

Chicken ( continued )
Sauteed, 254-8

General Information,
254

Master Recipe, 254
Sauces for
Cream, 256
Deglazing, 255
Herbal Garlic, 257
Tomato and Mush-
room, 256

Souffle see Variations,
167, 173
Squab Chicken
(Roasted), 246
Stew see Fricassees,
258-65

Pot au Feu, 306
Tarragon

in Aspic, 549
Casserole Roast, 249
Fricassee, 262
Timbales see Variations,
175

Chocolate

General Information
Drops, 582
to Melt, 582
Cake, 679
with Almonds, 677
Filling (Butter-
cream ) 680—4
Icing, 684
Creams (Desserts)
Bavarian (Custard),
599

Custard with Almonds,
608

Malakoff (with Al-
monds), 607
Plombieres (Custard),
595

Mousse, 604
Souffle, 619
Chopping, illus., 27
Chou Rouge a la Limou-
sine, 496

Choucroute Braisee,

498

Garnie, 499
Chou-fleur, 456-61
Blanchi, 457
a la Mornay, 459
Timbale de, 461

Chou-fleur ( continued )
aux Tomates, 459
en Verdure, 460
CHOUX

Asperges (Broccoli),
455-6

de Bruxelles, 449-55
Blanchis, 450
a la Creme, 453
Etuves

au Beurre, 451
a la Creme, 452
aux Marrons, 452
a la Milanaise, 453
a la Mornay, 453
Timbale de, 454
CHOUX (Puff Shells),
177-81

Civet de Mouton, 347
Clafouti(s), 655-8

a la Bourdaloue, 658
a la Liqueur, 656
aux Mures, 657
aux Myrtilles, 657
aux Poires, 656, 658
aux Pommes, 657
aux Pruneaux, 657
Clam

Filling for Appetizers,
202

Juice for Fish Soups, 51
Juice for Fish Stock, 1 1 5
Clarified Butter, i 5
Clarification of Meat
Stocks, m

Coat a Spoon ( Definition

of), II

Cock, 235

Cocktail Appetizers see
Index: Appetizers
Coffee

Icing (Butter Creams),
680-4

Souffle, 617—18
Cognac, for Cooking, 32
Cold

Buffet, 536-78
Dishes, List of, 576-8
Colin see Index: Fish, Cod
Compote of Peaches,
630

CONCOMBRES, 499-501
au Beurre, 499
aux Champignons, a la
Creme, 501
a la Creme, 500

CONCOMBRES - CUP-DECILITER EQUIVALENTS

CONCOMBRES ( continued )
a la Grecque, 538
a la Mocnay, 501
Persilles, 500
CONFIT D'OlE see Index:
Goose, Preserved
CONGRE see Index: Fish,

Eel

Consomme

Clarification of Stock lor,
in; see also Index:
Stock, Canned
Contre Filet, 290
Conversion Formulas
see Index: Tables of
Equivalents
Cookies, Sugar, 635
Cooking Ahead of Time:
Symbol (*) in Recipes
Copper Pots, 4
Coq au Vin, 263
COQUELETS SUR CANAPES,
246

COQUILLES ST. JACQUES
a la Parisienne, 216
a la Provenfale, 218
Cornish Game Hen,

246, 554

Cornstarch Thickening
for Brown Sauce, 70
Court Bouillon for
Vegetables, 536
Covered Roasting see
Index: Veal, Casserole
Roast; Chicken, Casse-
role Roast; etc.

Crab

in Aspic, 549
in Chaud-froid, 553
Quenelles, 189
Quiche, 149
Souffle, 170; see also
Variations, 167
Timbales see Variations,
175
Crabe

en Aspic, 549
en Chaud-froid, 553
Cracklings, Goose, 282
Crawfish, Crayfish see
Index: Ecrevisse
Cream

General Information,
16-17
Cheese, 16

Cream ( continued )
Enrichment (White
Sauces), 59

Fillings see Index: Fill-
ings, Cream
French

Discussion of, 16
Duplication of, 16
to Whip, 580
Lightly Beaten, 580
Puff Paste, 175
Sauce, 59; see also Index:
Sauce, Cream
Sour

Discussion of, 16
to Make, 1 6
to Whip, 580
Creaming Butter, 100
Creams (Dessert)

Bavarian Creams, 596-
601

Custards, 610-13; see
also Index: Custards
Malakoffs, 605-8
Mousses, 603—5
Plombieres, 594-6
Creme, 16-17
Anglaise, 588

for Cake Fillings, 683
au Beurre, 680-4
a l’Anglaise, 683
au Citron, 676
Menagere, 681
a l’Orange, 674
au Sucre Cuit, 681
Brulee, 589
Chantilly, 580
au Citron, 676
Fraiche, 16
Patissiere, 590
with Fruit Tarts,

640-1

Plombieres, 594-6
a 1' Ananas, 596
au Chocolat, 595
aux Fruits, 595
Pralinee, 594
Renversee au Caramel,

610

Saint-Honore, 591
Sainte-Anne au Caramel,

611
Cremes

Frites, 203

et Mousses, 594-613

Crapes (Dessert), 648-55
General Information
Batters for, 649-50
Cooking of, 648
Fillings for, 654
with Almond
Butter, 651
Cream, 652
Fines Sucrees, 649
Fourrees

et Flambees, 651
Frangipane, 652
Gateau de, a la Nor-
mande, 653
a la Levure, 649
Mound of, with Apples,

653

with Orange Butter, 650
and Almonds, 651
Soufflees, 650
Sucrees, 648-55
Suzette, 650

Crapes (Entree), 190-5
General Information
Batter for, 191
Cooking of, 19 1
Pans for, 192
d'Epinards, 474
Farcies et Roulees, 195
Gateau de, 193
Mound of, 193
of Spinach, 474
over Spinach, 473
Stuffed and Rolled, 195
Timbale de, 195
Crbvettes en Aspic, 549
Cromesquis, 203
Croquettes, 203
CroOtes

Bread Cases, 200
for Soup, 44
Croutons, 199
Crustaches, Mousseline
de, 564

Cucumbers, 499-501
General Information,
499

Baked, 499

with Cheese Sauce, 501
Cold a la Grecque, 538
Creamed, 500
with Mushrooms, 501
Parslied, 500
Cup Custards, 61 i
Cup-deciliter Equiva-
lents, 21

X

CURRANT GLAZE -DOVE, ROAST

Currant Glaze, 594
Curried Chicken, 261
Curry Sauce, 63, 73; see
also Index: Sauce, Curry

Custard ( s)

Desserts

Almond with Choco-
late, 608

Applesauce Caramel
Mold, 624
Bavarian Creams,
596-601
Caramel

and Almond Plom-
bieres, 594
Unmolded Custard,
610-1 1

Chocolate Plombi&res,
595

Fillings for Desserts
Almond Cream,

59i

Creme Patissiere,
59°

with Egg Whites,
59 1

for Savarins, 664
with Glaceed Fruit,
612

Pineapple
Mold, 631
Plombieres, 596
Raspberry Plombieres,
595

Strawberry Plombieres,
595
Tart

with Apples, 637
Fillings for, 590-2
with Pears, 642
Entree Molds
Asparagus, 440
Brussels Sprouts, 454
Cauliflower, 461
Spinach, 474
Timbales, 174—5
Sauce, Creme Anglaise,
588

Cuts, Meat
see Index: Beef Cuts;

Veal Cuts; etc.

Booklet on, 288
French see Text Listings
under Beef Stews;

Veal Scallops; etc.

Cutting Methods
V egetables, 26—30
Mushrooms, 509-11

D

Daube

de Boeuf, 322, 324
de Mouton, 348
Deciliter-cup Equiva-
lents, 21

Definitions, List of,
n-14

Deglacer (to Deglaze),
n

Deglaze, to (Definition

of), II

Deglazing Sauce see In-
dex: Sauce, Brown
Deglazing
Degraisser (to
Degrease), 12
Degrease, to (Directions
for), 12

Demi-glace Sauce, 66
Des, Couper en (to
Dice), 13

Dessert(s), 579-665
Cold

Apple (s)

Aspic, 627
Braised, 628
Charlotte, 623
Gratin, 626
Applesauce Caramel
Mold, 624

Bavarian Creams, 596-
601

Caramel

and Almond Souffle,
622

Custards, 610-11
Charlotte ( s )

Basque, 608
Chantilly, 608
Malakoff, 605-8
Mousses, 603—5
Oranges, Glazed, 629
Peach Compote, 630
Pears, Baked, 630
Pineapple Custard
Mold, 631
Plombieres, 594—6

Dessert ( s) ( continued )
Cold ( continued )
Rum-macaroon
Souffle, 620
Tarts, 635-48
Custards see Index: Cus-
tard Desserts
Fillings for, 590-2
Plot

Apple (s)

Braised, 628
Charlotte, 623
Applesauce Caramel
Mold, 624
Caramel Custards,
610-11

Pears, Baked, 630
Souffles, 613—20
Tarts, 635-48
Molded

General Information
Lining a Mold
with Caramel,

584

with Ladyfingers,

585

Unmolding of, 586
Apple
Aspic, 627
Charlotte, 623
Applesauce Caramel,
624

Bavarian Creams,
596-601
Caramel-almond
Souffle, 622
Charlottes Malakoff,
etc., 605—9
Custards, 610-13
Mousses, 603—5
Pineapple Mold, 631
Rum-macaroon Souf-
fle, 620

Sauces, 588, 592; see also
Index: Sauces, Sweet
Tarts, 632-48
Unmolding of, 586
Dice, How to Cut into,
13

Dill Sauce, 95
Diplomate, 612
Dough
for Babas, 658
see also Index: Pastry
Dough

Dove, Roast, 246

DRESSING FOR SALADS - ENAMEL WARE

XI

Dressing for Salads
M ayonnaise, 86-94
Vinaigrette, 94-6
Duck, Duckling, 272-81
General Information,
272-3

Boning of, 570
Carving of, 272
Description of, 272
Preparation for cook-
ing, 272
Stock, 272

Timetable for Roast-
ing, 273

Wine and Vegetables
for, 273
Baked

with Beans in Cas-
soulet, 404
in Pastry Crust, 571
Braised

with Chestnuts, 281
with Sauerkraut or
Cabbage, 280
Casserole Roast with
Turnips, 279
Cold, with Orange, 576
Mousse of, 560
Pate of, 568

in Pastry Crust, 57 1
Roast, 274-9

Master Recipe, 274
with Apple Stuffing,

275

with Cherries, 278
with Orange Sauce,

276

with Peaches, 279
Spit Roasted, 275
Dumplings see Index:
Quenelles; Gnocchi
DUXELLES, 515

E

Eciialotes, 19
Ecrevisse(s), 213
Butter see Shellfish
Butter, 104

Garnish for Fish Filets,
215-16

EEL (Conger or Sea), 50,
185

Egg(s), 116-38
General Information
to Beat Eggs and
Sugar, 579
Weight Equivalents,

22

in Aspic, 547
Baked in Ramekins,
123-5

Boiled, 6-minute, 118
Dishes see also Index:
Custards; Gratins;
Quiches; Souffles
Omelettes see Index:
Omelettes
Poached, 116-22
General Information
Discussion of, 116-
17

Substitute for, 118
Master Recipe, 116
in Aspic, 547
on Canapes, Cheese
Sauce, 1 18

in Cheese Souffle, 165
in Fish Soup see Vari-
ation, 51

in Garlic Soup, 47
in Pastry Shells, Bear-
naise, 120
in Red Wine, 121
Scrambled, 125-6
Master Recipe, 125
Cold with Tomatoes,
576

Garnishings for, 126
Shirred, 122—3
Whites
Beating of

Master Recipe, 159
for Desserts and
Cakes, 579

in Custard Filling, 591
to fold into Souffles,
etc., 1 60-1
Souffles ( no Egg
Yolks)

Cheese, 173
Dessert Souffles,

622

Yolk(s)

Added to Hot Sauces,
60; see also Index:
Sauce Parisienne
Butter, for Decora-
tions, 1 01

EGG ( S ) ( continued )
Yolk(s) ( continued )
for Butter Creams,
680-4

for Custard Sauce,

588

for Hollandaise Sauce,
79

for Mayonnaise, 86-7
and Sugar, Beating of
to Form the Rib-
bon, 579
Heated see Char-
lotte, 609
Eggplant, 501-5

Casserole with Tomatoes,
503

Cold, 577

a la Grecque, 539
Mold, with Lamb
(Moussaka), 349
Stuffed with Mushrooms,
501

Electric Beater or
Mixer

for Beating Butter and
Sugar, 581

for Cake Batters, 669-79
for Cake Frostings,

681-3

for Creaming Butter, 100
for Egg Whites, 160
for Eggs and Sugar, 579
for Quenelles, 185
Electric Blender
for Bread Crumbs see
Broiled Chicken, 266
for Hollandaise Sauce, 81
for Mayonnaise, 88
for Mousses (Chicken
Liver, etc.), 559
for Pancake Batter, 191,
649

for Pulverized Almonds,
582

for Shellfish Butter, 104
for Soups, 37
Electric Skillet
for Fricasseed Chicken,
259

for Sauteed Chicken, 254
Emmenthal see Cheese,
16

Enamel Ware see Pots,
3-6

Xll

ENDIVES - FISH

Endives, 493-5
Braised, 493
Cold a la Grecque, 539
a la Flamande, 493
Gratin with Ham, 156
Gratineed with Cheese,
494

Quiche, 152

English see Index: British
Entrec6te, 290
Entrees and Luncheon
Dishes, 139-206
Entremets, 579-665
aux Fruits, 623—32
Epinards, 467-76
a la Basquaise, 474
Blanchis, 468
Canapes aux, 472
a la Creme, 471
Etuves au Beurre, 470
Gratines au Fromage,

471

au Jambon, 470
au Jus, 470
a la Mornay, Gratines,

472

Petites Crepes d’, 474
Puree d’, 469
en Surprise, 473
Timbale d', 474
Equipment, Kitchen,
3-10

Equivalents see Index:
Tables of Equivalents
Escabeche, 554
Escalopes de Veau,
364-9

Espagnole Sauce, 66
Estouffade de Boeuf,
322

Etuver (to Braise), n

F

Fahrenheit-Centigrade

Conversions, 24-5
Farce

Duxelles, 251, 337
aux Herbes, 336
Mentonnaise, 338
aux Olives, 338
pour Pates, 565
de Pore, 336
aux Rognons, 337

Farina see Semolina
Gnocchi, 183
Farine (Flour), 17
Fat

Fatback see Pork Fat, 564
Goose, 282

Pork Fat for Pates, 564
Removal of see Degrease,
12

Faux Filet, 290
Fennel, Cold a la
Grecque, 539
Fenouil a la Grecque,
539
Filet

of Beef see Index: Beef,
Filet

de Boeuf see Index:
Boeuf, Filet

of Fish see Index: Fish,
Filets

Mignon, 290, 296
de Poisson see Index:
Poisson, Filet
Steaks, 290, 296-300
Fillings

for Cake see Index: Cake
Fillings

Cream Fillings (Entree)
Cheese, 201-2
for Crepes, 193-5
for Croquettes, 203
Ham, etc., see Varia-
tions, 202
Poultry, 203
Shellfish, 202
for Desserts

for Crepes, 650-4
Custard

with Almonds, 591
Creme Patissiere,
590

with Egg Whites,
59i

for Savarins, 664
see also Index: Stuffings
Fines Herbes see Herbs,
18

Fish, 207—33
General Information,

207

Buying Notes, 207
Sauces for, 232-3
Serving Suggestions,
208

Fish ( continued )

General Information
(continued)

Types of

for Bouillabaisse
and Soup, 50
for Filleting and
Poaching, 208
for Quenelles, 185
Blue Fish see Fish Filets,
208

Brill see Fish Filets, 208
Coalfish Baked with To-
matoes see Other Fish,
220
Cod

Baked with Tomatoes
see Other Fish, 220
for Quenelles see Fish,
185

Dab see Fish Filets, 208
Eel, Conger or Sea Eel,
50, 185

Filets Poached in White
Wine, 208-16
Master Recipe, 208
Sauces and Garnitures
Cream and Egg
Yolk Sauce, 21 1
Ecrevisses, 216
Mushrooms, 210,
216

Mussels and
Shrimp, 214
Vegetable Julienne,
211

Souffles with, 167;
168-71

Stuffed Filets, 216
Flounder Filets
Poached in Wine,
208-16

for Quenelles, 185
in Souffle, 167; 168-
7i

Fluke see Fish Filets, 208
Forcement see Quenelles,
184

Gratin, 156
Hake

see Fish Filets, 208
Quenelles, 185
Halibut

Baked with Tomatoes
see Other Fish, 220
Quenelles, 185

FISH - FUMET

Xlll

Fish ( continued )

Leftover, Gratin of, 156
Mousse
Cold, 562
Hot, 187

Poached Filets, 208-16
Pollack

Baked with Tomatoes
see Other Fish, 220
Poached see Fish Fi-
lets, 208
Quenelles, 184-9
Salmon

Gratin, 156
Mousse, 562
Quenelles, 189
Souffle, 166
Stuffing for Lamb, 338
Timbales see Varia-
tions, 175

Sole Filets Poached in
White Wine, 208-16
Souffle

with Egg Whites (no
Yolks), 173
with Fish Filets, 168
and Shellfish, 170
on a Platter, 170
Sauces for, 83, 84,
169

Soup and Bouillabaisse,
49-53

Stock, 1 14, 1 15

Trout see Fish Filets, 208

Tuna

Baked with Tomatoes,
219

in Salade Ni?oise, 542
and Veal Patties, 375
Whiting see Fish Filets,
208

see also Index: Crab;
Ecrevisse; Lobster;
Mussels; Scallops;
Shellfish; Shrimp
Flambees

for Dessert Crepes, 650,
651

for Fruit Tarts, 643
for Veal Kidneys, 418
FlamichB, 151
Flaming see Index: Flam-
bees

Flan(S)

Fruit, 655-8

Flan(s) ( continued )
des Isles, 631
Ring, Ulus., 143
FLEURETTE see Cream, 16-

17

Floating Island (men-
tioned), 622
Flour

General Information,
17-18

French and American,
18

How to Measure, 17
and Butter

Paste (Sauce Thick-
ener), 58, 64, 265
Roux (Sauce Thick-
ener)

for Brown Sauces,

68

for White Sauces,

56

Foie

Gras

with Eggs see Sugges-
tions, 125

with Steak Rossini,
299
Stuffing

with Prunes for
Goose, 284
with Truffles for
Beef, 303
de Veau

a la Moutarde, 407
Saute, 405
de Volaille
en Aspic, 548
Mousse de, 559
FOLD, to (definition of),
13; illus., 16 1
Fondant au Chocolat,
604
FONDS

d'Artichauts see Index:
Artichauts, Fonds de
Blanc, 109
de Volaille, 109
Brun, no

de Volaille, no
de Cuisine, 106—10
Simple, 107
Fondue

Croquettes, 203
de Crustaces, 202

Fondue ( continued )
au Gruyere, 201
de Poulet a la Creme,
262

de Volaille, 203
Food Mill, illus., 9
Forcemeat see Quenelles,
184-90

Form the Ribbon, 579
Fouetter (to Beat), 11
Fowl see Chicken, 234;
see also Index: Duck;
Goose; etc.

Fraises, Sauce aux, 592
Framboises, Sauce aux,
592

Frangipane, 591

with Dessert Crepes, 652
with Pear Tart, 642
for Savarins, 664
Fremir, 11

French Dressing, 94
Fricadelles
d'Agneau, 348
de Veau, 372-5
Fricassee

Definition of, 258
of Chicken, 258-65
see also Index: Beef

Stew; Veal Stew; etc.
FRITTONS, 282
FROSTINGS see Index: Cake
Fillings

Frozen Foods see Index:
Peas, Frozen; Chicken,
Frozen; etc.

Fruit (s)

Confits, 17
Desserts, 623-32
Fillings

for Crepes, 653-4
for Savarins, 664
Flans, 655-8
Glaceed, 17; see also In-
dex: Glaceed Fruit
Sauces, 592

to Stew or Poach in
Syrup, 654
Tarts, 635-47
see also Index: Apples;
Pears; etc.

FUMET

de Champignons, 512
de Poisson au Vin Blanc,
114

XIV

GALANTINES - GRUYERE

G

Galantines, 569
Galettes
au Camembert, 198
au Fromage, 197
au Roquefort, 197
Sablees, 635
Game

Birds Roasted see Coque-
lets, 246

Hens, Cold in Escabeche,
554

Roast see Coquelets,
246

Mousse of, 560
Sauce, 70
Garbure, 48
Garlic

General Information
Measurements for, 22
Press, 9

Removal of Odor, 22
Butter, 101, 103
on Mussels, 228
with Carrots, 480
with Lamb

Coating with Mustard,

335

Inserted in Leg, 330
Sauce, 334
Stuffing with Herbs,

336

with Mashed Potatoes,
520

Sauce see Index: Sauce,
Garlic

with Scalloped Potatoes,
523-6
Soup, 46-8

Garnitures see Vegetable
Suggestions in Recipe
Texts

GAteau ( x), 667-80
Biscuit au Beurre, 669
de Crepes, 653
Fourre a la Creme
d’Orange, 672
Marquis, le, 679
a 1'Orange, 671

et aux Amandes, 676
Reine de Saba, 677
Gelatin

in Bavarian Creams,
596-601

Gelatin ( continued )
in Cream Sauce (Chaud-
froid), 551

French (in Sheets), 113
in Mayonnaise, 91
for Stocks and Aspics,

113

Gel£e, 1 1 2-1 4
de Groseilles, 594
Giblet Stuffing for
Chicken, 243
Gigot, 329-44
Glacage
a l'Abricot, 670
au Chocolat, 684
Glace de Viande, iio
Glaceed Fruits, 17
in Apple Aspic, 627
in Bavarian Cream, 601
in Custard, 612
on Savarins, 664
in Souffle, 617
Glazes for Desserts
and Cakes, 593
Gnocchi, 181-4

Master Recipe (Potato),
181

with Cheese, 182
with Ham, etc., 183
de Pommes de Terre,
181

de Semoule, 183
with Semolina, 183
Goose, 282-7

General Information,
282-3
Fat, 282

Preparation for Cook-
ing, 282
Stock, 282
Stuffings for, 283
Timetable for Roast-
ing, 283

Baked with Beans (Cas-
soulet), 404

Braised, Chestnut Stuff-
ing, 285
Cracklings, 282
Liver, 282; see also In-
dex: Foie Gras
Preserved

in Cabbage Soup, 48
in Cassoulet, 399, 404
Roast, Prune and Foie
Gras Stuffing, 283

Grams

Conversion Formulas, 21
Flour Equivalents, 17-
18

Measures and Equiva-
lents, 20-1

Grape Tart see Varia-
tions, 641

Gratin(s) for Dessert
Apple, 626
Pear, 630

Gratin(s) for Entree,
153-7
Brains, 157
de Cervelles, 157
Chicken or Turkey, 157
Endive and Ham, 156
d'Endives, 156
aux Fruits de Mer, 156
Leeks and Ham, 155
de Poireaux, 155
de Pommes de Terre
aux Anchois, 154
Crecy, 525
Dauphinois, 523
Jurassien, 524
Provencal, 525
et Saucisson, 155
Savoyard, 524
Potatoes
with Onions

and Anchovies, 154
and Sausages, 155
Scalloped, 523-6
Shredded, with Ham,
153

with Spinach, 474
de Ris de Veau, 157
Salmon or Other Fish,
156

Sweetbreads, 157
de Volaille, 157

Gratine, to (Definition
of), 13

Gratineed Dishes, 153-
7; see also Fish, 21 1,
216-23

Grattons, 282

Gravy see Index: Sauce

Grease Removal see De-
grease, 12

Grecque, Legumes a la,
536-40

Groseilles, Gel£e de,
594

Gruy£re see Cheese, 16

HACHER - KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

XV

H

HACHER (to Mince), 13
Ham, 389-99

General Information,

389-90

Types to Buy, 390
Vegetables and Wines
for, 390
Braised, 391-5

Master Recipe, 391
Cream and Mushroom
Sauce, 392
in Madeira, 393
with Mushroom Stuff-
ing, 394

in Pastry Crust, 395
Cold, 577
Mousse, 561
Filling with Cheese for
Appetizers, 202
Gnocchi see Additions,
183

Gratin of

with Endives, 156
with Leeks, 155
with Potatoes, 153
Hock with Beans, 404
Omelette see Piperade,
137; Suggestions, 136
Pate with Veal and Pork,
5 66

Slices, 396-9

Cream Sauce, 398
and Madeira, 397
with Onions, Toma-
toes, etc., 396
Souffle

see Cheese Souffle,
173; Variations,

166

Timbales see Variations,
175

Hamburgers, 300-3
Hare PAt6, 568
Haricot de Mouton,
344

Haricots
B eurre, 448

Mange-tout a l'Etuvee,
448

Verts, 442-7

a l'Anglaise, 444
Blanchis, 443
a la Creme, 445

Haricots ( continued )
Verts ( continued )
Gratines, a la Mor-
nay, 446

a la Maltre d'Hotel,
444

a la Provencale, 447
Sauce Creme, 445
Hen, 235
Herb(S)

General Information,

18

Bouquet, 18
Butter, 102, 103
see also Index: Sauce,
Herb; Tarragon
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE, 79;
see also Index: Sauce
Hollandaise
HOMARD

a l'Americaine, 223
aux Aromates, 223
en Aspic, 549
en Chaud-froid, 553
Thermidor, 221
Honey, Orange
(O range Butter),

672

Hors d’Oeuvres, 196-
206; see also Index: Ap-
petizers
Huile, 19

I

ICING see Index: Cake Fill-
ings

Ile Flottante, 622

Illustrations, List of,
xvii

Incorporer (to Fold), 13

Ingredients, List of,
15-19

Iron Ware see Pots,
Pans, 3

J

Jam Fillings for
Crapes, 654
Jambon, 389-99
Braise

et Farci, 394

Jambon ( continued )

Braise ( continued , )
au Madere, 393
Morvandelle, 391
Farci en Croute, 395
Mousse de, 561
Tranches de

a la Creme, 398
Morvandelle, 397
en Piperade, 396
Jellied Stock, 1 12-14
with Gelatin, 113
Homemade, 1 1 2
Lining a Mold with, 558
for Pates in Aspic, 565
Testing of, 114
Use of in Aspics, 544-6
Wine Flavoring for, 114
JELLY: Fillings for Crepes,
654; see also Index:
Jellied Stock
Julienne, to Cut into,
28-9

Jus L16, 70

K

Kidney ( s) , 416-20
General Information,
416-17

Master Recipe, 417
Flambeed, 4x8
Sauces for

Cream and Mush-
rooms, 418
Mustard and Parsley,
4i7

Red Wine and Mar-
row, 4x9
Served with Eggs

Scrambled see Gar-
nishings, 126
Shirred see Sugges-
tions, 123

Stuffing with Rice for
Lamb, 337
KlRSCH

Icing see Butter Creams,

680-4

Souffle, 617

Syrup for Savarins, 663
Kitchen Equipment, 3-
10

XVI

KNIVES - MACAROON(S)

Knives, 6

How to Chop, Dice, etc.,
26-30

L

Ladyfingers
Master Recipe, 666
Desserts Molded in,
605-9, 612

to Line a Mold with,
585

Laitues Braisees, 489
Lamb and Mutton, 328-
50

General Information,
328-32

to Bone a Leg, 329
Cuts for Stew, 344
Discussion of, 328
Marinades for, 341—2
Stuffings for, 336-8
Timetable for Roast-
ing- 330
Types of, 328
Wine and Vegetables
for, 331-2
with Beans, 338
in Cassoulet, 401
Boiled, 342

Brains, 408-9, 413-16;

see also Index: Brains
Braised, 338
Kidneys see Index: Kid-
neys

Leftover, with Eggplant,
349

Leg or Shoulder of, 329-
44

Master Recipes
Braised, 338
Roast, 332

Garlic Flavoring, 330,
336

Marinated, 341
Mustard Coating, 335
Sauces for, 334
Stuffed, 335
Mold with Eggplant, 349
Patties, 348
Roast, 332
Shanks, 348
Shoulder

General Information,
330

Lamb and Mutton
( continued )

Shoulder ( continued )
Recipes for see Index:
Lamb, Leg; see also
Cassoulet, 401
Stew, 344-8
General Information,
344-5

Master Recipe (Nava-
rin), 345

Braised Shanks, 348
with Mushrooms and
Onions, 348
with Red Wine, 347
with Rice, 348
with Vegetables
(Daube), 348

Lard

Gras see Pork Fat, 564
de Poitrine see Bacon, 15

Leek(s), 495-6
Braised, 495

Browned with Cheese,
496

with Cheese Sauce,
496
Cold, 578

a la Grecque, 539
Gratin with Ham, 155
and Potato Soup, 37
Quiche, 15 1

Leftovers see Index:
Lamb, Leftover; Vege-
tables, Leftover; etc.

Legumes, 421-535

Lemon

Butter

Cake Filling, 676
-cream Cake Icing,

676

Sauce, 98
Peel, Glazed, 587
Tart

with Almonds, 646
Souffle, 645

Lentils with Lamb see
Variations, 347

Lettuce, Braised, 489

Lime Souffle Tart, 645

Limettes, Tarte aux,
645

Liqueurs for Cooking,
32

Liter-quart Equiva-
lents, 21

Liver
Calf, 405-7

Master Recipe, Sau-
teed, 405

Mustard Coating for,
407

Sauces for, 406
Canapes for Roast Birds,
247

Chicken
in Aspic, 548
Canapes for Roast
Birds, 247

with Eggs see Garnish-
ings, 126; Sugges-
tions, 123

Filling with Cheese
for Appetizers, 202
Gnocchi see Addi-
tions, 183
Mousse of, 559
Timbales of, 174
Goose, 282; see also In-
dex: Foie Gras
Pate with Pork and Veal,
568
Lobster

General Information
to Deal with Live, 220
to Steam in Wine, 221
a 1'Americaine, 223
in Aspic, 549
Butter see Shellfish But-
ter, 104

in Chaud-froid, 553
Garnish for Fish Filets,
213

with Herbal Sauce, 223
Quenelles, 189
Quiche, 149
Souffle, 170; see also
Variations, 167
Tails a 1’Americaine, 223
Thermidor, 221
Timbales see Variations,
175

Luncheon Dishes, 139-
206

M

Macaroon (s)

Baked with Pears, 630
Cup Custards, 61 1
to Pulverize, 583

macaroon(s) - mushroom(s)

XVII

Macaroon(s) ( continued )
Souffle, 617
Unmolded, 620
Substitute for Almonds
in

Bavarian Cream, 599
Caramel Cream, 594
Macerate (Definition of),

13

MacIsrer (to Macerate),
13

Madeira Wine
for Cooking, 32
for Jellied Stocks and
Aspics, 1 14

Sauce, 75; see also Index:
Sauce, Madeira
Make the Ribbon, 579
Malakoff, Charlottes,
605-8

Marinade (s)
for Beef
Red Wine

for Braised Beef,
310

for Stews ( Daubes ) ,
322

Wine and Truffle for
Filet, 306
for Lamb

Cooked Red Wine,
341

Red Wine and Bay
Leaves, 342
for Pork

Lemon Juice, 376
Salt and Spices, 376
Wine, 377
for Veal

Cognac and Madeira,
358

for Pates, 567
Marinate (Definition of),

13

Mariner (to Marinate),

13

Marquis, le, 679
Marrons
B raises, 519
Puree de, 518
Marrow

to Prepare, 19
Sauce, 294, 295, 419
Marsala for Cooking,
32

Matignon Braising-
VEGETABLES
for Beef, 303
for Veal, 354
Mayonnaise

au Chocolat (Dessert),
604

Sauce, 86; see also In-
dex: Sauce Mayon-

naise
Measures
F lour, 17-18
Miscellaneous Equiva-
lents, 21-3

Tables of Equivalents,
20-1

Meat, 288-420
Cuts

American and French
see specific Meat
Sections in Text
Booklet on, 288
Glaze, no

in Flavored Butter
(Colbert), 102
in Bearnaise Sauce, 85
Loaf, Veal, 375; see also
Pates, 564-76
Stock, 106-14
Melanger (to Blend), 11
Metric System, 20-1
MlJOTER (to Simmer)
see Boil, 11
Mince, to, 13, 27
for Mushrooms, 509
Mirepoix, 432
Moelle, 19
Molds (Containers)
for Babas, 660
to Line with
Caramel, 584
Ladyfingers, 585
for Savarins, 662
for Souffles, 161—2
Molds (Food) see Index:
Custard Molds; Desserts,
Molded; Mousses; Tim-
bales

Mortar and Pestle, 10
Mouclades, 230
Mould see Index: Mold
Moule Caramelise, 584
Moules, 226-32
a la Bearnaise, 230
au Beurre d'Escargot, 228
a la Mariniere, 227, 228

Moules ( continued )
Mouclades, 230
Pilaf de, 231
a la Poulette, 230
a la Provencale, 228
Salade de, 229
en Sauce, 230
Soupe aux, 231
Moussaka, 349
MOUSSE (Dessert)

General Information
to Unmold, 586
Chocolate, 604
Orange, 603
a l'Orange, 603
Mousse ( s) (Entree —
Cold), 558-64
General Information
Jellied Stocks for,
112-13

to Unmold, 559
Sauce Chaud-froid for,
55 i. 563
Chicken, 560
Liver, 559

Duck, Game, or Turkey,
560

de Foies de Volaille, 559
Ham, 561
de Jambon, 561
Salmon, 562
de Saumon, 562
Shellfish, 564
Mousse (Entree — Hot)
Fish, 187
Mousseline

au Chocolat, 604
de Crustaces, Blanche
Neige, 564
de Poisson, 562
Sauce, 83
de Volaille, 560
MOUTON, 328-50
Mushroom ( s), 508-17
General Information
Discussion of, 508
to Mince, Slice, Flute,
509-n

Preparation of, 508
Weight Equivalents,
22

Broiled, 512
Canned, 517
Cold a la Grecque, 537
Creamed, 514
Essence of, 512

xviii

Mushroom (s)

( continued )

Minced (Duxelles), 515
Quiche, 152

Sauce see Index: Sauce,
Mushroom
Sauteed, 513

with Garlic, Bread
Crumbs, 513
Souffle see Variations,
166

Soup, 40
Stewed, 511
Stuffed, 516
Stuffings and Fillings
for Chicken, 251
with Cream Cheese,

194

for Eggplant, 501
for Ham, 394
for Lamb, 337
with Swiss Cheese, 202
for Tomatoes, 508
Timbales see Variations,
17 5

Partial List of, with other
Foods

Artichokes and Car-
rots, 478

Beef Stew, 3x5, 322
Chicken, 245, 258,

263, 269
Eggs, 1 18, 120
Fish, 210, 2x5-16
Gnocchi ( Additions ) ,
183

Green Beans ( Addi-
tion), 446
Rice, 531

Sweetbreads, 41 1, 412
Veal, 355, 360, 362,
366

Mussels, 226-32
General Information
Canned, 226
Scrubbing and Soak-
ing, 226

Garnish for Fish, 213—16
on Half Shell, Broiled,

228

Marinated, for Salad,

229

in Sauce, 230
Soup, 231

Steamed in Wine, 227,
228

MUSHROOM(S) - ONION(S)

Mustard
B utter, 100
Coating

for Chicken, 265
for Hothouse Lamb,
328

for Liver, 407
Sauce see Index: Sauce,
Mustard

Mutton, 328-50

Brains, 408-9, 413—16;

see also Index: Brains
Leg of, 329-44
Stew, 344-8

N

NAP, TO (Definition of),
13

Napper la CuillLre, 13
Navarin, 345
Navets, 485-9

& la Champenoise, 488
a 1 'Etuvee, 486
Glaces a Bran, 488
Persilles, 487
Puree de, Parmentier,
487

O

Oeufs, 116-38
a la Bearnaise, 120
a la Bourguignonne, 12 1
Brouillcs, 125
sur Canapes, 118
en Cocotte, 123
en Croustades, 118
a la Fondue de Fromage,
118

en Gelee, 547
Miroir, 122
Mollets, ix8
sur le Plat, 122
Poches, 1 16
OlE, 282-7

Braisee aux Marrons, 285
Confit d’, 48, 399, 404
Roti aux Pruneaux, 283
Oignons, 480-5
a la Creme, 482
en Garniture, 484
Glares

a Blanc, 481
a Brun, 483

Oignons ( continued )
a la Grecque, 539
Persilles, 482
Soubise, 485
Oil, Types of, 19
Omelette(s), 126-38
General Information,
126-9

to Beat Eggs for, 127
Pans for, 127
to Transfer to Plate,
128

Master Recipes
Rolled, 132
Scrambled, 129
Gratineed with Toma-
toes, 136

Gratinees a la Tomate,
136

with Herbs, Cheese, etc.,
135-6

Piperade, 137
Onion ( s), 480-5
General Information
to Chop, Dice, etc., 27,
3 °

Discussion of, 480—1
Preparation of, 481
Removal of Odor, 22
Weight Equivalents,
22
Braised

Brown-braised, 483
White-braised
(Glazed), 481
Canned, 484
Cold a la Grecque, 539
Creamed, 482
Garniture, 484
Quiche or Tart, 150, 151
and Rice Soubise, 485
Sauce, 64, 355
Soup, 43-5

with Potatoes, 37
Partial List of, with Other
Foods

Braised Onions
in Beef Stew, 315
and Brains in Red
Wine, 415
in Chicken Fricas-
see, 258

Coq au Vin, 263
in Veal Stew, 362

ONION (S) - PEAR(S)

XIX

Onion ( s) ( continued )
Partial List of, with Other
Foods (continued)
in Chicken Casserole
Roast, 252

in Gratin of Potatoes
and Anchovies, 154
and Sausages, 155
with Peas, 464, 465
with Pork

Chops see Varia-
tions, 389
Roast, 382
Orange (s)

Bavarian Cream, 596
Butters for Dessert
Crepes, 650-1
Cake, 67 1

with Almonds, 676
Cake Fillings and Frost-
ings

Butter Cream, 674
Butter Filling, 672
with Duck, 276
Glacees, 629
Glazed, 629

Liqueur for Cooking, 32

Mousse, 603

Peel

with Duck, 276
to Glaze, 587
Sauce, 76, 83, 276
Souffle, 616
Ounce-gram Equiva-
lents, 21
Flour, 18

Other Measures, 20
Oven

Temperature Conver-
sions, 24-5
Types of, 3
Oysters

Garnish for Fish Filets,
215-16

with Quenelles, 188
to Poach, 213

P

Pain de Veau, 375

PANCAKES

Grated Potato, 521
see also Index: Crepes

Pans

General Information,

3-6

Illustrations, 5, 6, 128,
192

for Crepes, 192
for Omelettes, 127
Paprika
Chicken

Breasts, 268
Fricassee, 262
Sauce, 262, 268
Parmesan Cheese
Coating for Chicken
Breasts, 271
see also Index: Cheese,
Parmesan
Parsley
Butter, 102
in Herb Bouquets, 18
Partridge

with Beans ( Cassoulet ) ,
404

Cold in Jelly (Escabe-
che), 554
Pate of, 568
Roast see Coquelets, 246
Paste

for Babas, 658
for Cream Puffs, 175
Pastry
Crust

Duck Baked in, 571
Ham Baked in, 395
Dough

General Information,
139-40, 632-3
Decorations with,
574-5

Leftovers, 635
Master Recipes
for Dessert Tarts,

633-4

for Entree Tarts,
139-43
Shells, 143
Baking of

for Dessert Tarts,

634

for Entree Tarts,
146

with Poached Eggs,
120

for Tartlets, 200
Turnovers, 204
PATALINA, 183

PAte

a Babas, 658
Brisee, 139
Sucree, 633
a Choux, 17 5
a Crepes, 19 1, 649-50
Sablee, 633

Pates and Terrines,
564-76

General Information,

564-5

Aspic for, 565
Baking Dishes for,

565

Marinade for, 567
Pork Fat for, 564
to Serve, 568
Storage or Freezing of,

565

Master Recipes

Pork and Veal Stuffing
for, 565

Pork, Veal, and Ham
Pate, 566
en Croute, 569-76
de Canard, 571
Duck, 568

Boned, in Pastry Crust,
57i

Game Pate, 568
Pore et Veau
avec Foie, 568
avec Gibier, 568
avec Jambon, 5 66
Pork and Veal with Liver,
568

Peach (es)

Bavarian Cream, 600
Compote with Raspberry
Sauce, 630

with Cup Custards, 61 1
with Duck, 279
Poaching of (Compote),
630

Tart, 639

with Custard see Vari-
ations, 641
Pear(s)

Baked with Macaroons,
630

Flan, 656, 658
Poached in Red Wine,
642

Tart, 638

with Almond Filling,
642

XX

PEAR(s) - PORK

Pear ( s ) ( continued )

Tart ( continued )

with Custard Filling
see Variations, 641
Peas (Fresh, Green),
461-7

General Information,

461— 2

Braised with Lettuce, etc.,
465

Buttered (1, II, III),

462- 5

Canned, 467
Frozen, 4 66
with Onions, 464, 465
PDches Cardinal, 630
Pepper Steak, 296
Peppers, Sweet Green
or Red

Cold a la Grecque, 540
in Eggplant Casserole,
503

see also Index: Piperade
Pestle

and Mortar, 10
and Sieve, 8

Petit Suisse see Cheese,
16

Petits Pois see Index: Pois
Pheasant

Jellied in Escabeche, 554
Pate of, 568
PlE see Index: Pastry;

Quiches; Tarts
Pigeon

Jellied in Escabeche, 554
Roast see Coquelets, 246
Pilaf, Pilau (Risotto),
532

de Moules, 231
de Mouton, 348
Pineapple
B oiled in Syrup, 654
Cream Plombieres, 596
Custard, Unmolded, 63 1
Tart, 644

Piperade (Tomatoes, Pep-
pers, etc.)

Master Recipe (Ome-
lette), 137

with Ham Slices, 396
with Scrambled Eggs
Cold, 576

Hot see Garnishings,
126

with Shirred Eggs, 123

PlSSALADIERE NlQOISE,
151

Pistou Soup and Sauce,
45

Plombieres, 594-6
Plum(s)

Flan, 657

Poached in Syrup, 654
Tart see Variations, 641
Poach, to

Definition of, 13
see also Index: Eggs;
Fish

PoCHER (to Poach), 13
PoDle (Skillet), 6
POIREAUX, 495-6

Braises au Beurre, 495
Gratines au Fromage,
496

a la Grecque, 539
a la Mornay, Gratines,
496

POIRES AU GRATIN, 630
Pois (Petits Pois, Pois
Verts, Pois Frais),
461-7

a l’Anglaise, 462
en Braisage, 464
Etuves au Beurre, 463
a la Francaise, 465
aux Oignons, 464
Poisson, 207-33
Coquilles St. Jacques
a la Parisienne, 216
a la Provenfale, 218
Homard

a 1'Americaine, 223
aux Aromates, 223
Thermidor, 221
Moules, 226-32
Mousses, Mousselines,
562-4

Sole, Filets de
Bercy, 210
Bonne Femme, 216
a la Bretonne, 2 1 1
a la Dieppoise, 214
Farcis, 216
Gratines, a la Pari-
sienne, 21 1
a la Nantua, 216
a la Normande, 215
Poches au Vin Blanc,
208

Walewska, 215
Souffles de, 168-70

Poivrons A la Grecque,
540

POMMES

Aspic de, 627
Charlotte de, 623
Gratin de, 626
Normande en Belle Vue,
624

a la Sevillane, 628
Tartes de, 635, 637, 638
Pommes de Terre, 520-8
Crepes de, 521
Gratins de

aux Anchois, 154
Crecy, 525
Dauphinois, 523
Jurassien, 524
Provencal, 525
Rapee Morvandelle,
153

et Saucisson, 155
Savoyard, 524
k l’Huile, 541
Puree de, a l'Ail, 520
Sautees, 526-8
Chateau, 526
en Des, 528
pour Garniture, 526
Parisienne, 528
Porc, 375-89
Braise

avec Choucroute, 385
aux Choux Rouges,
384

Cotes de, 385-9
Charcutiere, 388
Poelees, 386
Robert, 388
Sauce Nenette, 387
Ragouts de, 389
Roti de. Poele, 378-84
aux Choux, 383
Grand'Mere, 382
aux Navets, 383
Sylvie, 385
Pork, 375-89
General Information,
375-8 o
C uts for
Boiling, 307
Chops, 386
Roasting and Brais-
ing. 378
Stew, 389
Fat, Discussion of,

564

PORK - POULET(S)

xxi

Pork ( continued )

General Information
( continued )

Marinades for, 376-7
Temperature and Tim-
ing, 379

Vegetables and Wines,
379-80

with Beans in Cassoulet,
399

Boiled see Potee Nor-
mande, 307

Brains see Index: Brains
Braised

with Red Cabbage,

384

with Sauerkraut, 385
Chops, 385-9

General Information,
385-6

Master Recipe, 386
Fresh Tomato Sauce,
388

Mustard and Cream
Sauce, 387

with Vegetables, 389
Cold, 577

Pate with Veal and Ham,
5 66

Roast, 378-84

Master Recipe, 380
with Cabbage, 383
with Potatoes and
Onions, 382
Sauces for, 381-2
with Turnips, 383
Steaks, 385-9
Stews, 389

Stuffed with Cheese, 385
Stuffings

with Herbs for Lamb,
336

with Veal for Pates,

565

Port Wine
for Cooking, 32
for Jellied Stocks and
Aspics, 1 14
Sauce, 75

for Roast Chicken,
245

Pot au Feu, 306
Pot Roast see Index:
Beef, Braised

Pot ages et Soupes, 37-
53

Potage(s)

Creme

de Cresson, 41
d'Epinards, 43
d’Oseille, 42
au Cresson, 38
Germiny, 42
Parmentier, 37
Veloute aux Champi-
gnons, 40
Vichyssoise, 39
Soupe(s)

Ai'go Bouxdo, 46
a l’Ail aux Pommes de
Terre, 48
aux Choux, 48
aux Moules, 231
a l'Oeuf, Provenfale,
47

a l'Oignon, 43
Gratinee, 44
des Trois Gour-
mandes, 45
au Pistou, 45
de Poisson, 50
Potato (es), 520-8
General Information,

520

to Slice, 27
Types of, 520
Weight Equivalents,

22

Cold Dishes with, 578
Gnocchi, 181-3
Grad ns

with Anchovies and
Onions, 154
with Ham, Eggs, etc.,
153

with Sausages and
Onions, 155
with Spinach, 474
see also Index: Pota-
toes, Scalloped
Mashed

with Garlic, 520
with Turnips, 487
Pancakes, 521
Salad

Master Recipe, 541
with Beans, etc., Ni-
foise, 542
with Beef, 543

Potato (es) ( continued )
Salad ( continued )

with Rice and Beets,
543

Sauteed in Butter, 526-8
Master Recipe, 526
Diced Potatoes, 528
Potato Balls, 528
Scalloped, 523-6

Master Recipe, with
Milk and Cheese,

523

with Carrots and
Cream, 525
in Cream, 524
with Meat Stock and
Cheese, 524
with Onions and To-
matoes, 525
see also Index: Potato,
Gradns
Shredded

Gratin of, 153
Pancakes of, 521
Soup, 37-40, 48
Starch or Flour

for Chocolate Souffle,
619

for Sauce Thickening,
70

Sticks with Cheese, 198
Whole, Cooked with
Chicken, 252
Pork Chops see Varia-
tions, 389
Roast Pork, 382
Potee Normande, 306
Pots for Cooking, 3-6
Pots de Creme
au Chocolat, 604
Petits, 61 1

POUDING

Alsacien, 626
de Cabinet, 612
POULARDE, 235
Poulet(s), 234-72
a la Broche, 242
en Cocotte Bonne
Femme, 252
Coq au Vin, 263
Coquelets sur Canapes,
246

Fondue de, a la Creme,
262

Fricassee de, 258-65
a l'Ancienne, 258

XXII

POULET(s) - REFRESH

?OULET(s) ( continued )
Fricassee de ( continued )
a l'Estragon, 262
a l'Indienne, 261
au Paprika, 262
en Gelee a l’Estragon,
549

Grilles a la Diable, 265
Poele a l'Estragon, 249
au Porto, 245
Roti, 240-9

a la Normande, 243
Saute, 254-8
Chasseur, 256
a la Creme, 256
aux Herbes de Pro-
vence, 257

Supremes de see Index:
Supremes
Poultry, 234-87
Shears, 8

Stock, 109, 236, 237
see also Index: Chicken;
Duck; Goose; etc.
Pralin (Caramelized Al-
monds), 583
with Almond Cream, 594
with Bavarian Cream,
599

for Creme Brulee, 589
in Souffles, 617, 622
Pr6-sal£, Pres Sales see
Terms, 328
Precooking: Symbol
( * ) in Recipes
Preserved Goose, 48,
399. 404

Preserves for Cr£pe
Fillings, 654
Pressure Cooker
for Dried Beans, 400
for Soups, 37
for Stocks, 107
Prune

Stuffing for Goose, 284
Tart with Cream Cheese,
648

Puddings see Index: Cus-
tard Desserts; Charlottes;
etc.

Puff Shells (Puffs),
177-81

General Information,
177-8

Filling of, 180
Freezing of, 180

Puff Shells (Puffs)

( continued )

General Information
(continued)

Paste for (Pate a
Choux), 175
for Dessert Puffs,
176

Cheese, 18 1
Large Puffs, 179
Small Puffs, 178
Puri-e, TO (Definition of),
13

Q

Quail, Roast see Coque-
lets, 246

Quenelle (s), 184-90
General Information,
184-5

Fish for, 185
Meats for, 189
Master Recipe, 185
de Crustaces, 189
of Fish, 185
Gratin of, 188
with Oysters, 188
of Salmon, 189
Sauces for, 187
of Shellfish, 189
aux Flultres, 188
de Poisson, 185
Gratin de, 188
of Poultry or Veal, 189
de Saumon, 189
Stuffing with Fish Filets,
216

de Veau, 189
de Volaiile, 189

Quiche (s), 146-53
General Information,
146-7

Pastry Shells for, 143
Master Recipe, 147
Camembert, 148
aux Champignons, 152
Cheese, 147-8
Crab, 149

Cream and Bacon, 147
Endive, 152
aux Epinards, 153
au Fromage de Gruyere,
147

aux Fruits de Mel, 149

Quiche (s) ( continued )
Leek, 151
Lobster, 149
Lorraine, 147
Mushroom, 152
aux Oignons, 150
Onion, 150, 151
aux Poireaux, 151
Roquefort, 148
Shrimp, 149
Spinach, 153
a la Tomate, Nifoise, 148
Tomato, 148

R

Rabbit Pat6, 568
Rafraichir (to Refresh),
13

RAGOUT see Index: Beef
Stew; Lamb Stew; etc.
Rapee Morvandelle,
i53

Raspberry

Creams (Desserts)
Bavarian (Custard),
600

Chantilly ( Whipped
Cream), 608
Malakoff (Almond),
607

Plombieres (Custard),
595

Filling for Savarins, 664
Sauce, 592

for Fresh Peaches, 630
Tart see Variations, 641
Ratatouille, 503
Red

Cabbage see Index: Cab-
bage, Red
Currant Glaze, 594
Wine

Butter, 103
Syrup for Pear Poach-
ing, 642

see also Index: Sauce,
Red Wine; Wine
Reduce, TO (Definition
of), 13

R6duire (to Reduce), 13
Refresh, to (Definition

°f), 13

Discussion of, for Green
Vegetables, 422

REINE DE SABA - SAUCE(S)

XX 111

Reine de Saba, 677
Ribbon, to Form the,
579

Rice, 528-35

General Information,
528-9

Weight Equivalents,

23, 529

Master Recipes

Boiled, for Salads, 532
Braised (Risotto),

532

Buttered (I, II, III),

530-1

Converted, 534
Packaged Precooked,
535

Ring of, 534
Steamed, 529
Wild, 535

with Bavarian Cream,

601

and Beef Stew, 321
and Lamb Stew, 348
with Mushrooms, 531
with Mussels, 231
and Onions (Soubise)
as Sauce, 355
as Vegetable, 485
Pudding (Bavarian
Cream), 601
Salad with Beets, 543
Starch

for Chocolate Souffle,
619

for Sauce Thickening,
70

Ring Mold for Sava-
RINS, 662

RlS DE VEAU, 408-13
Braise, 409
a l’ltalienne, 41 1
a la Creme, 412

et aux Champignons,
412

Escalopes de, Sautees,
413

au Gratin, 413
a la Marechale, 412
Risotto, 532
Riz, 528-35
a l’Anglaise, 530
au Beurre, 531
au Blanc, 532
en Couronne, 534
Duxelles, 531

Riz ( continued )

Etuve au Beurre, 531
a l’lmperatrice, 601
a l'lndienne, 529
Risotto, Pilaf, Pilau, 532
a la Vapeur, 529
ROASTING see Index:
Chicken, Roast; Veal,
Roast; etc.

ROGNONS DE VEAU ET DE
MOUTON, 4l6-20
a la Bordelaise, 419
en Casserole, 417
Flambes, 418
Romsteck, 290
Rooster, 235
Roquefort see Index:
Cheese, Roquefort
Rotisserie

for Chicken, 242
for Duck, 275
Rouille, 51
ROUX

for Brown Sauce, 68
for White Sauce, 56
Rubber Scraper or
Spatula, 7
Rum

Babas, 660
for Cooking, 32
Icing see Butter Creams,
680-4
Souffle, 620
Syrup for Babas, 660
RUMSTECK, 290
Rutabagas see Turnips,
485-6

S

Salad(s), 541-4
Beef and Potato, 543
Combination (Ni?oise),
542

Dressings and Sauces for
Mayonnaises, 86-93
Vinaigrettes, 94-6
Mussel, 229
Potato

Master Recipe, 541
with Beans, etc. (Ni-
coise), 542
with Beef, 543
with Beets, 543
Rice and Beet, 543

Salade(S), 541-4
a la d'Argenson, 543
de Boeuf a la Parisienne,
543

de Moules, 229
Ni?oise, 542

Salmon see Index: Fish,
Salmon
Salt

Amounts to Use, 23
Removal of Excess, 23
SAUCE(S), 54-105

note: Sauces for Des-
sert Listed Separately
General Information,
54-5

Deglazing for, u
Enrichments for
White Sauces
Butter, 58
Cream, 59
Cream and Egg
Yolks, 60
Family of, 55
Saucepans for, 56
Stock for

Brown Sauces, 67
Fish, 1 14

White Sauces (Ve-
loutes), 56
Thickenings for:

Egg Yolks

for Hollandaise,

79

for Mayonnaise,
86-7

for White Sauces,
60

Flour

andButterPaste,58
see also: Mock
Hollandaise,
64; Coq au
Vin, 265
and Butter Roux
Brown, 68
White, 56
Starch, 70
Sauces for

Artichokes, 426
Asparagus, 437-8
Cauliflower, 458
Fish, 84, 188, 232-3
Hamburgers, 302-3
Lamb, 334
Liver, 406

XXIV

sauce(s)

Sauce(s) ( continued )
Sauces for ( continued )
Pork, 381—2, 387-8
Steaks, 294-5
Veal, 366-9, 371, 374
a l’Ail pour Gigot, 334
A'ioli, 92
Allemande, 60
Alsacienne, 93
aux Anchois, 66
Anchovy, 66

with Garlic for Beef
Stew, 324
Aurore, 62
Batarde, 64
Bearnaise, 84

for Filet Steaks, 298
with Meat Glaze Fla-
voring, 85

for Pan-broiled Steaks,
295

on Poached Eggs, 120
with Tomato Flavor-
ing. 85
Bechamel

General Information,
55-7

Master Recipe, 57
Enrichments for, 58-
61

Sauces Made with,
61-4
Bercy

with Fish Filets, 210
with Steak, 294
Beurre
Blanc, 96
au Citron, 98
Nantais, 96
Noir (Noisette), 98
see also Index: Beurre
au Beurre, 96-9
Bigarade see Index:
Sauce, Orange
Blanches, 55-66
Bordelaise, 76
for Kidneys, 419
for Steak, 295
Bourguignonne

General Information,

76

Recipes

with Beef Saute,

326

with Beef Stew, 315

SAUCE (s) ( continued )
Bourguignonne
( continued )

Recipes ( continued )
with Chicken (Coq
au Vin), 263
with Poached Eggs,
121

Brandy for Steak au Poi-
vre, 296
Brown, 66-76

General Information,
66- 7

Master Recipes, 67-7 1
Sauces Made with,
71-6
Butter, 98
Curry, 73
Deglazing

General Informa-
tion, 76
Some Recipes
with Cream
for Chicken
Breasts,

268

for Sauteed
Chicken,

256

with Wine
for Sauteed
Chicken,

255

and Truffles,
271

Madeira, 75
for Ham, 393
Mushroom see Index:
Sauce, Mushroom
Mustard, 72
Peppery, 71
with Pickles, 72
Port Wine, 75
Tarragon, 73
Brune, 67
au Cari, 73
a l'Estragon, 73
aux Fines Herbes,

73

Brunes, 66-76
Butter

Brown, 98
for Calf’s Brains,
413

with Capers, 99

Sauce (s) ( continued )
Butter ( continued )
Brown ( continued )
for Chicken Breasts,
270

for Shirred Eggs,
123

Lemon, 98
White, 96

see also Cold Flavored
Butters, 99; Hol-
landaise, 79
Caper, 65

see also Beurre Noir,
99

aux Capres, 65
Cardinal (mentioned),
60

au Cari, 63
Chantilly, 83
Chasseur, 75, 368
Chaud-froid Blanche
Neige

General Information,
i°5

Recipes

with Chicken
Breasts, 551
with Crab or Lob-
ster, 553

with Fish Mousse,

563

Cheese

with Bechamel (Mor-
nay), 61

with Wine and Garlic,
105, 118
Chivry, 62
Choron, 85
Colbert, 85

Coulis de Tomates, Pro-
venfale, 78
Cream

Master Recipe, 59
for Chicken Breasts,
268-70

Cold see Index: Sauce,
Chaud-froid
with Egg Yolks, 60;
see also Index:

Sauce Parisienne
for Ham, 392, 397, 398
for Hamburgers, 302
with Madeira for Ham,
397

sauce(s)

XXV

SAUCE (S) ( continued )
Cream ( continued )
with Mushrooms
for Beef, 325
for Chicken Breasts,
269

for Chicken Roast,
245

for Ham, 392
for Kidneys, 418
for Veal Scallops,
366

with Mustard, 382
and Tomato, 387
with Port Wine for
Chicken, 245
for Roast Chicken,

243

for Sauteed Chicken,
256

Sour, with Dill, 95
for Vegetables, 458
with White Wine for
Chicken Fricassee,
258

Creme, 59
a la Creme, 458
Curry

Brown, 73
White, 63

with Baked Eggs
see Sauce, 124
with Chicken Fric-
assee, 261

Deglazing see Index:
Sauce, Brown Deglaz-
ing

Demi-glace (men-
tioned), 66
Diable, 71
Duxelles, 74
Egg(s)

Hard-boiled (Mayon-
naise), 90

Soft-boiled (Mayon-
naise), 93
Yolk

and Butter (Hollan-
daise), 79
and Cream (Pari-
sienne), 60
and Oil (Mayon-
naise), 86

Espagnole ( mentioned ) ,

66

Sauce ( s) ( continued )
a l'Estragon, 62
a la Fondue de Fromage,
105, 118
Game, 70
Garlic

and Anchovy for Beef
Stew, 324

and Basil for Soup or
Pasta, 45

and Egg Yolks for
Chicken, 257
Mayonnaise, 92
and Pepper for Fish
Soup, 51

and Rice for Lamb,
334
Herbal

Brown, 73
with Garlic for
Chicken, 257
Hollandaise, 82; see
also Bearnaise, 84
Mayonnaise, 89
Sour Cream Dressing,
95

White Wine, 62
Hollandaise, 79—85
General Information,
79

Remedy for Turned
Sauce, 81
Master Recipes
for the Electric
Blender, 81
for Handmade
Sauce, 79

for Mock Hollan-
daise, 64
Variations, 82-5
a l'ltalienne, 76, 41 1
Joinville (mentioned),
60

Jus Lie, 70
Lemon Butter, 98
Madeira, 75

for Braised Ham, 393
with Foie Gras for
Steak, 299

for Ham Slices, 397
with Mushrooms for
Steak, 297
for Sauteed Mush-
rooms, 515
with Truffles, 75

Sauce ( s) ( continued )
Madere, 75
Maltaise, 83

Marchand de Vins, 295
Marrow

with Red Wine,
for Kidneys, 419
for Steak, 295
with White Wine for
Steak, 294
Matelote, 415
Mayonnaise, 86-93
General Information,
86-7

Remedy for Turned
Sauce, 88
Master Recipes
for the Electric
Blender, 88
for Handmade
Sauce, 87
Variations, 89-93
Mornay, 61
Mousseline, 83
Sabayon, 169
Moutarde, 95

a la Normande, 382
a la Moutarde, 66
Mushroom

Master Recipe ( Du •
xelles), 74
with Cream
for Chicken
Breasts, 269
Fricassee, 258
Roast, 245
for Ham, 392
for Kidneys, 418
for Sauteed Beef,
325

for Veal Scallops,

366

with Ham, Herbs,
etc., 76, 41 1
with Madeira for
Steaks, 297
with Tomatoes for
Veal, 368
Mustard
Brown, 72
with Cream

and Egg Yolks for
Fish, 66
for Ham, 398
for Pork, 382, 387

XXVI

SAUCE(s) - SAUMON, MOUSSE DE

Sauce (s) ( continued )

Mu sta rd ( continued )
with Oil for Cold
Dishes, 95

with Parsley for Kid-
neys, 417
with Tomato, 387
Nantua, 216
Nenette, 387
Normande, 215
Oil

Mayonnaises, 86—93
Vinaigrettes, 94-6
Onion (Soubise)
and Bechamel, 64
and Rice, 355
Used with

Boiled Lamb, 344
Eggs see Sauce, 124
Veal, 355
Orange
Brown

with Roast Duck,
276

Uses for, 76
Hollandaise for Vege-
tables, 83
a l'Orange, 276
Paprika

with Chicken Breasts,
268

with Chicken Fric-
assee, 262

Parisienne ( Cream and
Egg Yolks)

General Information,
60

Buttering of, 214
Master Recipe, 60
for Chicken Fricassee,
258

for Fish Filets, 21 1,
214-16

for Mussels, 230
for Scallops, 216
for Veal Stew, 362
Perigueux, 75
Piquante, 72
Poivrade, 70
Port Wine, 75
and Cream for
Chicken, 245
au Porto, 75
Poulette (mentioned),
60, 230
Ragout, 69

Sauce ( s) (continued)
Ravigote, 95
Red Wine

with Bacon, Onions,
etc., see Index:
Sauce Bourgui-
gnonne

with Beef Marrow
for Kidneys, 419
for Steak, 295
Remoulade, 9 1
Riviera, 90
Robert, 72
Shallot

with Red Wine for
Steak, 295

with White Wine for
Steak, 294
de Sorges, 93
Soubise, 64, 355; see
also Index: Sauce,
Onion

for Souffle Base
Entree Souffles, 163
Sweet Souffles, 614,
619

Supreme, 59
de Poisson, 188
Tarragon

Bearnaise, 84
Brown, 73

for Roast Chicken,
251

for Veal Scallops,

367

White, 62

for Fricasseed
Chicken, 262
Tartare, 90

Thermidor see Lobster,
221

Tomato

Master Recipe, 76
Fresh Puree with
Herbs, 78
with Bechamel, 62
for Lobster, 223
with Mushrooms, 368
with Olives for Beef
Saute, 327
for Pork, 388
for Tuna or Sword-
fish, 219
Truffle, 75

for Chicken Breasts,
271

SAUCE ( S ) ( continued )
Veloute, 55-64

General Information,
55-7

Master Recipe, 57
Enrichments for, 58-
61

Sauces Made with,
61-4

Venaison, 70
Venison, 70
Vin Blanc, 84
Vinaigrette, 94
with Herbs

and Capers, 95
and Cream, 95
with Mustard, 95
White

Bechamels and Velou-
tes, 55-64
Butter, 96
Wine

for Chicken Fric-
assee, 258
for Fish Filets,
210-12,

214-16
with Herbs, 62
Hollandaise for
Fish, 84
for Steak, 294
SAUCE (s) for Desserts,
588-93

Creme Anglaise, 588
Custard, 588
aux Fraises, 592
aux Framboises, 592
Jam or Jelly, 593
Raspberry, 592
Strawberry, 592
Saucepans
General Information,

3-5

for White Sauces, 56
Sauerkraut

Master Recipe (braised),
498

with Duck, 280
with Meat Garnish, 499
with Pork

Chops see Variations,

389

Roast, 385

Saumon, Mousse de, 562

sausage(s) - souffle(s)

Sausage(s)

French type, to make,
403

Gratin with Potatoes,

155

Polish

with Beans (Cassou-
let), 404

with Boiled Beef,

306

Stuffing

with Apples for Duck,
275

with Chestnuts for
Goose, 286

Saut£

General Information,

13

Pans for, 6

see also Index: Chicken,
Saute; Liver, Saute;
etc.

SAUTOIR (Saute Pan), 6
Savarins, 662-5
General Information,

66 2

Fillings for, 664
Molds for, 662
Syrup for, 663
Master Recipe, 662
Chantilly, 664
Petits, 66 5
Small, for Tea, 665
with Whipped Cream,
664
Scallops
Bay or Sea
Gratineed

with Cream and
Mushrooms, 216
with Wine and
Garlic, 218
Timbale see Varia-
tions, 175

Veal see Index: Veal
Scallops

Seafood see Index: Crab;

Fish; Lobster; etc.
Semolina Gnocchi, 183
Shallot(s)

General Information, 19
to Dice or Mince, 30
Substitutes for, 19
Weights, 23
Butter

with Red Wine, 103

Shallot ( s) ( continued )
Butter ( continued )
with White Wine,

103

Sauce

with Red Wine for
Steak, 295

with White Wine for
Steak, 294
Shellfish
Butter, 104

Filling for Appetizers,
202

Garnitures for Fish Fi-
lets, 212

Gratin see Salmon Gra-
tin, 156
Mousse, 564
see also Index: Crab;
Clam; etc.

Sherry for Cooking, 32
Short Paste, 139, 633;
see also Index: Pastry
Dough
Shrimp (s)
in Aspic, 549
Butter see Shellfish But-
ter, 104
to Cook, 213
as Garnish for Fish Fi-
lets, 214-15
Quenelles, 189
Quiche, 149
Souffle, 170; see also
Variations, 167
Sieve, Drum, 8
Simmer, Definition of
see Boil, n
Skillet, 6

for Crepes, 192
Electric, Use of, 254,
259

for Omelettes, 127
Slice, How to, 27-8
Snail Butter, 103
Sole, Filets see Index:
Poisson, Sole
Sorrel Soup, 42
Soubise
S auce

with Bechamel and
Onions, 64

with Rice and Onions,
355

Vegetable (Rice and
Onions), 485

xxvii

Souffl6(s)

General Information,

157-63

Ahead-of-time Notes,
161

Baking and Serving,
163

Egg Whites for, 158-
61

Molds or Dishes for,

161— 2

Proportions for,

162— 3

Timing of, 163
Entree, 157—74
Master Recipe
(Cheese), 163
aux Blancs d’Oeufs,
173

Cheese, 163
with Egg Whites
Only, 173
Unmolded, 17 1
Chicken or Turkey
see Variations, 167
de Crabe, 170
aux Crevettes, 170
Demoule, Mousseline,

171

Egg Whites (no
Yolks), 173
aux Epinards, 165
Fish, 168

Baked on a Platter,
170

Shellfish see Varia
tions, 167
au Fromage, 163
de Homard, 170
Lobster, Crab, or
Shrimp, 170
with Poached Eggs, 165
de Poisson, 168, 170
Salmon, 166
de Saumon, 166
Spinach, 165
with Ham or Mush-
rooms, 166

Sweetbreads or Brains
see Variations, 167
Tuna see Variations,
167

Unmolded, 171
Vegetable, 166
Vendome, 165

xxviii

Souffle ( s) ( continued )
Sweet or Dessert, 613—
21

General Information,
613-14

Sauce-base for, 614
Timing of, 614
Master Recipe (Va-
nilla), 614
Almond, 618
aux Amandes, 618
au Cafe, 617
Caramelized Almonds,
617

au Chocolat, 6x9
Chocolate, 619
Coffee, 617

and Vanilla, 618
au Cointreau, Curasao,
etc., 616
Cold, Unmolded
Caramel Almond,
622

Rum and Maca-
roon, 620

see also Bavarian
Creams, 60 1
Demoule aux Maca-
rons, 620
Egg Whites (no
Yolks), 622
Glaceed Fruits and
Kirsch, 6x7
au Grand Marnier,
616

Half-and-half, 618
Macaroon, 617
and Rum, Un-
molded,

620

Orange, 616
Panache, 618
Praline, 617
Rothschild, 617
Tart with Lemon, 645
Vanilla, 614

Half-and-half, 618
a la Vanille, 614
SOUP(S), 37-53
General Information, 37
Electric Blender for,
37

Pressure Cooker for,
37

Bouillabaisse, 52
Cabbage, 48

SOUFFLE (S) - STEAK

SOUP(S) ( continued )

Cold Potato
and Leek (Vichys-
soise), 39
and Watercress, 39
see also Variations, 39
Fish, 50
Garlic, 46

with Poached Eggs,
47

with Potatoes, 48
Garnishings

Bread Rounds (Crou-
tes), 44
Garlic Sauce

with Basil (Pistou),
45

with Peppers
(Rouille), 51
Leek and Potato, 37
Mushroom, 40
Mussel, 231
Onion, 43-5
and Potato, 37
Potato ( es )

with Fish Soup, 51
and Garlic, 48
and Leek or Onion, 37
with Watercress, 38
Sorrel, 42
Spinach, 43

Vegetable ( Provencal ) ,
45

Watercress
Cream of, 41
and Potato, 38
SOUPE see Index: Potages
et Soupes
Sour Cream

General Information, 16
Dressing, 95
to Make, 16
Spatula, Wooden, 7
Spinach, 467-76
General Information,
467-8

Preparation of, 468
Saucepans for see
Warning, 469
Master Recipes

Blanched, Chopped
(Precooking),

468

Cooked, Chopped
(Puree), 469
Frozen, 475

Spinach ( continued )
Braised

in Butter (Buttered),

470

in Cream (Creamed),

471

in Stock, 470
Canapes, 472
Crepes (Pancakes), 474
under Giant Crepe,
473

Custard Mold, 474
Timbales see Varia-
tions, 175

Filling for Crepes, 194
Gratin with Potatoes,
474 ,

Gratineed

with Cheese, 471
with Cheese Sauce,

472

with Ham, 470
Omelette, 136
with Poached Eggs see
Other Ideas, 119;
Souffle, 165
Quiche, 153
Souffle, 165
Soup, 43

Timbales see Variations,
175

Spirits for Cooking, 32
Spit Roasting
for Chicken, 242
for Duck, 275
Spongecake
B utter, 669
Chocolate, 679
Orange, 671

and Almond, 676
Spreads and Fillings
for Appetizers, 201-3
Squab, Roast see Coque-
lets, 246

Stainless Steel Ware
see Pots, 3

Starch (Corn, Potato,
Rice)

for Souffle Sauce Base,
614, 619

Thickening for Brown
Sauce, 70
Steak

au Poivre, 296
see also Index: Beef

Steak: Ham Steak; etc.

STEW - TABLES

XXIX

Stew see Index: Beef

Stew; Veal Stew; etc.
Stocks (and Bouillons),
106-15

General Information,
106-7

Clarification of, 1 1 1
Degreasing of, 108
Ingredients for, 106
Jellied, 1 12-14
Pressure Cooker for,
107

Storage of, 109
Substitutes for, 106
Stocks for

Brown Sauces, 67
Fish

Sauces, 1 14-15
Soup, xi 4— 15
White Sauces, 56
Master Recipe, 107
Brown, no
Chicken, 236
Poultry, 1 xo
Canned
Beef, 67
Chicken, 57
Clam, 1 15
Consomme, 67
Chicken

Brown, 236
White, 237
Duck, 272
Fish

Emergency ( Clam
Juice), 1 15
White Wine, 114;
see also Fish Filets,
210; Lobster Ther-
midor, 221
Goose, 282
Meat, 107
Veal, 109
White, 109
Chicken, 237
Poultry, 109
Veal, 109
Stoves, 3
Strawberry (ies)

Creams (Desserts)
Bavarian (Custard),
600

Chantilly (Whipped
Cream), 608
Malakoff (Almond),
605

Strawberry (ies)
(continued)

Creams (Desserts)

( continued )
Plombieres (Custard),
595

Filling for Savarins, 66 4
with Rum Babas, 661
Sauce, 592
Tart, 640

Straws (Potato with
Cheese), 198

Stuffing(s)
for Beef Filet

Foie Gras and Truffles,
303
for Lamb

Garlic and Herbs, 336
Ham and Mushrooms,

337

Olive and Ground
Lamb, 3 38

Pork and Herbs, 336
Rice and Kidneys, 337
Salmon and Anchovy,

338

for Mushrooms, 516
Mushroom

for Chicken, 251
for Eggplant, 501
for Ham, 394
for Lamb, 337
for Tomatoes, 508
Pork and Veal for Pates,

565

for Poultry
Herb and Giblet
(Chicken), 243
Mushroom (Chicken),
251

Prune and Foie Gras
(Goose), 284
Sausage and Apple
(Duck), 275
Sausage and Chestnut
(Goose), 286
for Tomatoes, 507, 508,
see also Eggs, 576
see also Index: Fillings
Sugar

and Butter (Creaming
of), 581
Caramelized, 583
Cookies, 635
Crust for Tarts, 633

Sugar (continued)

and Eggs (Beating of),
579

Syrup see Index: Syrup
Weight Equivalents, 23
SuprDmes de Volaille,
267-7 1
Archiduc, 268
a Blanc, 268
a Brun, 270
aux Champignons, 269
en Chaud-froid, 551
a l'Ecossaise, 269
a la Milanaise, 271
SUZETTE (Crepes), 650
Sweetbread ( s), 408-13
General Information,
408-10

Blanching of, 409
Soaking and Peeling
of, 408

Master Recipe ( Braised ) ,
409

with Brown Mushroom
Sauce, 41 1
Cold in Salad, 577
Creamed, 412

with Mushrooms, 412
au Gratin, 413
Gratin of, 157
Sauteed in Butter, 413
Souffle see Variations, 1 67
with Egg Whites (no
Yolks), 173

Timbales see Variations,
175

Syrup (Sugar)

for Butter-cream Filling,
681

for Fruit Poaching

Red Wine (Pears),
642

Vanilla (Peaches),
630

Kirsch for Savarins, 663
Rum for Babas, 66 o

T

Tables

of Equivalents (Ameri-
can, French, British)
Flour, 18

Metric System, 20-1
Miscellaneous, 21-3
Temperatures, 24-5

XXX

TABLES - TRUFFLE(S)

Tables ( continued )

Roasting Times see In-
dex: Chicken; Lamb;
Pork; etc.

Tamis (Drum Sieve), 8
Tarragon
B utter, 102

with Meat Glaze, 102
Chicken
in Aspic, 549
Casserole Roasted,

249

Fricasseed, 262
Sauce, 62, 73; see also
Index: Sauce, Tar-
ragon

Tart(s) for Dessert,
632-48

General Information,
632-3

Custard Fillings for,
590-2

Flaming of, 643
Pastry Shells for,

632-5
Apple, 635

with Custard, 637
Upside-down, 638
Apricot, 639
see also Variations,
640, 641

Banana see Variations,
640, 641

Cherry, Flambee, 643
Cream Cheese, 647
and Prune, 648
Custard

with Apples, 637
with Cherries, 643
with Pears, 638, 642
with Strawberries, 640
Grape see Variations,
641
Lemon

with Almonds, 646
Souffle, 645
Lime Souffle, 645
Peach, 639

and Custard see Varia-
tions, 641
Pear, 638

and Almond, 642;
see also Varia-
tions, 640, 641
Pineapple, 644

Tart(s) for Dessert
( continued )

Plum see Variations,
640, 641

Raspberry see Variations,
641

Strawberry, 640
Tart(s) for Entree
O nion, 151

see also Index: Quiches;
Gratins

Tarte(S) Sucree(s),
632—48

aux Abricots, 639
a l'Ananas, 644
aux Cerises, Flambee,

643

au Citron, 645

et aux Amandes, 646
des Demoiselles Tatin,
638

aux Fraises, 640
au Fromage Frais, 647
et aux Pruneaux, 648
aux Limettes, 645
Normande, aux Pommes,
637^

aux Peches, 639
aux Poires, 638

a la Bourdaloue, 642
aux Pommes, 635
des Demoiselles Tatin,
638

Normande, 637
Tartelettes, 200
Tartlets, Shells for,
200

Temperature, Fahren-
heit-Centigrade Con-
versions, 24-5
Tenderloin
B utt, 290
Steaks, 296-300
Terrine(s)
de Boeuf, 322
see also Pates and Ter-
rines, 564—9

Thickeners see Index:
Sauce, General Informa-
tion

Thon A la Provbnqalb,

219

Timbale ( s)
d'Asperges, 440
Chicken Liver, 174
de Crepes, 195

Timbale(s) ( continued )
de Foies de Volaille, 174
Sauces for, 175
see Variations, 175: for
Fish, Ham, Poultry,
Vegetables

see also Index: Custard
Molds

Timetables for Roast-
ing see Index: Chicken,
General Information; etc.

Tomates, 505-8
Concassees, 506
Farcies Duxelles, 508
Grillees au Four, 506
a la Provenfale, 507

Tomato (es), 505-8
General Information,
505-6

to Peel, Seed, Juice,
etc., 505-6
Weight Equivalents,

23

Baked Whole, 506
Casserole with Eggplant,
503

Omelette
Gratineed, 136
Open-faced (Pipe-
rade), 137

with Onions and Peppers
see Index: Piperade
Puree with Herbs, 78
Quiche, 148
in Salad Nifoise, 542
Sauce, 76-8; see also In-
dex: Sauce, Tomato

with Scalloped Potatoes,
525

Stuffed, 507-8

with Scrambled Eggs,
576

Tournedos, 290-1; 296-
300

Truffle ( s)

General Information, 19
with Baked Eggs see Sug-
gestions, 125
with Chicken Breasts,
271

with Fish Filets (Wa-
lewska), 215
with Omelettes see Sug-
gestions, 136

TRUFFLE (S) - VEAU

XXXI

Truffle ( s) (continued)
Sauce, 75

with Scrambled Eggs,

126

in Stuffings
with Foie Gras for
Beef, 303
for Pates, 567
with Tournedos (Steak),
299

Trussing a Chicken, 237
Tuna see Index: Fish,
Tuna
Turkey

with Beans in Cassoulet,
404

to Bone see Duck, 570
Leftover

Filling for Appetizers,
203

Gratin of, 157
Quenelles, 189
Souffle see Variations,
167

Stuffing for see Goose,
286

Timbales see Variations,
175

Turnips, 485-9
General Information,
485-6

Preparation of, 486
Blanching of, 486
Braised in Butter, 486
Casserole of, 488
with Duck, 279
Glazed, 488
Parslied, 487
with Pork

Chops see Variations,
389

Roast, 383

and Potato Puree, 487
Turnovers, 204

U

Unmolded Desserts see
Index: Desserts, Molded
Unmolding, Directions
for

Aspics, 559
Cakes, 668
Desserts, 586

V

Vanilla

General Information
(Extract, Sugar, Va-
nilla Bean), 587
in Custard

Desserts, 610— 11
Sauce or Filling, 588—
9i

Icing see Butter Creams,
680-4
Souffle, 614

Half-and-half, 618
Veal, 350-75

General Information,
350-1
Cuts for
Chops, 369
Patties, 372
Roasting, 351
Scallops, 365
Steaks, 371
Stewing, 360
Marination of
for Pates, 567
for Roast (Sylvie),
357

Quality, 350
Timing for Roasts,

352

Vegetables and Wines
for, 352

Brains, 408-9, 413-16;

see also Index: Brains
Chops (Cutlets), 369-
7i

Braised with Herbs,
369

Sauces and Varia-
tions, 371
Cold, 577

Kidneys, 416—20; see
also Index: Kidneys
Leftover
Loaf, 375
in Patties, 375
Pate with Ham and
Pork, 566
Variations, 568
Patties (Ground Veal),
372-5

Master Recipe, 372
Sauces for, 372-4
of Leftover Veal, 375
with Mushrooms, 374

Veal (continued)

Patties (Ground Veal)
(continued)
with Tomatoes and
Onions, 372
with Tuna, 375
Quenelles, 189
Roast ( Covered Casse-
role), 351-9
Master Recipe, 353
with Diced Vegeta-
bles, 354

Gratineed with On-
ions 355

Stuffed (Ham and
Cheese), 357
Scallops, 364-9

General Information,

364-5

Master Recipe ( Sau-
teed), 366
Sauces for

Cream and Mush-
room, 366
Tarragon, 367
Tomato and Mush-
room, 368

Shank with Beans (Cas-
soulet), 404
Steaks, 371

Stews, Sautes, Blanquet-
tes, 359-64
General Information,
359-6o

Blanquette, 362
with Tomatoes, 360
Stock, 109

Stuffing with Pork, 565
VEAU, 350-75
Blanquette de, 362
Cotes de, 369-71
aux Herbes, 369
Escalopes de, 364-9
Chasseur, 368
a la Creme, 366
a l’Estragon, 367
Foie de, 405-7

a la Moutarde, 406,
407

Saute, 405
Fricadelles de, 372-5
a la Creme, 373
Duxelles, 374
Mentonnaise, 375
a la Nifoise. 372
Pain de, 375

XXX11

VEAU - ZUCCHINI

Veau ( continued )

Poele, 353

a la Matignon, 354
Prince Orloff, 355
Ris de see Index: Ris de
Veau

Saute de, Marengo, 360
Sylvie, 3 57

Vegetable ( s), 421-535
General Information,
421-2

to Chop, Dice, Mince,
26-30

Green (Discussion
of), 421-2
see also Index: Peas;
Potatoes; Spinach;
etc.

Cold, 536-41, 577-8
Serving Suggestions see
Vegetable and Main-
course Recipe Texts
Soup

for Leftovers see Vari-
ations, 39
Provencal, 45
Veloute Sauce, 57
Venison, Sauce for, 70
Vermouth for Cooking
see White Wine, 31
VlANDE, 288-420
V ICHYSSOISE, 39

Vinaigrette Sauces,
94-6

VOLAILLE(S), 234-87
en Escabeche, 554
Foies de see Index: Foies
de Volaille
Mousseline de, 560
Supremes de see Index:
Supremes

W

Wafers, Cheese, 197
Water Cress

and Cauliflower Puree,
460

Soup, 38, 41

Weights and Measures,
20-23

Flour, 17-18
White

Sauces, 55-66
Butter Sauce, 96
Wine see Index: Wine
Sauce see Index:

Sauce, White Wine
WlNE(S) (Red, White,
etc.)

General Information,
31-6

for Cooking, 31-2
Flavoring for Aspics,
114

WlNE(s) (Red, White,
etc. ) ( continued )
General Information
( continued)

Marinades see Index:
Marinades
to Serve with Food,
32-4

see also Suggestions
in Main-course
Recipes

Sauces see Index:
Sauce, Red Wine;
Sauce, Madeira;
etc.

Storage and Serving
of, 34-6
Temperatures for
Serving, 35

Wire Whip or Whisk, 7

Y

Yeast

Batter for Crepes, 650
Dough for Babas, 658

Z

Zucchini in Eggplant
Casserole, 503

i.

THE TEXT OF THIS BOOK

IS SET IN GRANJON

a type named in compliment to Robert Granjon, type-cutter
and printer — Antwerp, Lyons, Rome, Paris — active from
1523 to 1590. The boldest and most original designer of his
time, he was one of the first to practice the trade of type-
founder apart from that of printer.

This type face was designed by George W. Jones, who
based his drawings on a type used by Claude Garamond
(1310-61) in his beautiful French booths, and more closely
resembles Garamond' s own than do any of the various
modern types that bear his name.

This boo\ was composed by
Kingsport Press, Inc., Kingsport, Tennessee,
and printed and bound by
The Haddon Craftsmen, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Typography and binding design by

(continued from front flap )
example; the right beans for a cas-
soulet; or the appropriate fish and sea
food for a bouillabaisse.

5) It offers suggestions for just
the right accompaniment to each
dish, including proper wines.

Since there has never been a
book as instructive and as workable
as Mastering the Art of French Cook-
ing, the techniques learned here can
be applied to recipes in all the other
French cookbooks, making them in-
finitely more usable. In compiling the
secrets of famous cordons bleus, the
authors have produced a magnificent
volume that is sure to find the place of
honor in every kitchen in America.

Simone Beck, French born and edu-
cated; Louisette Bertholle, half
French and half American, educated
in both countries; and Julia Child, a
native of California and a Smith Col-
lege graduate, represent an even
blending of the two backgrounds and
are singularly equipped to write about
French cooking for Americans. Mrs.
Child studied at Paris's famous Cor-
don Bleu, and all three authors have
worked under various distinguished
French chefs. In 1951 they started
their own cooking school in Paris,
L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes, at the
same time that this book was taking
shape. Since then, Mmes Beck and
Bertholle have continued the school
in Paris, and Mrs. Child has carried
on classes in Washington, D.C., Phil-
adelphia, and until recently in Oslo,
where her husband's work as U. S.
cultural attache took her before they
returned to the U.S.A.

Bon appetit!

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle,and Simone Beck
working with their Maitre, Chef Max Bugnard,

* ^ *

over a final flavoring